Sinnoh Challenges
by xPikachu-Princessx
Summary: Rina thought going on her own journey would be all fun and games; how wrong she was. Having two rivals is bad enough, but getting involved with an evil organisation proves Rina wrong - her journey is far from being fun.
1. The Start Of The Journey

The Start Of The Journey.

Twinleaf town, a small town in the Sinnoh region, home to many people and Pokemon alike. One small house on the right of the town is where Rina lives with her mother, Catherine, her little sister, Ashley, and many Pokemon. Twinleaf town is usually a happy quiet place... but right now? It's the complete opposite.  
"Mum! Ashley is playing marbles with my Pokeballs again!" A fifteen year old girl's voice whined throughout the house.  
"Rinaaa, let me come with you pleaseee?" Another girl, around the age of 7 pleaded.  
"Look. I've already told you, you're too young! In 3 years you'll be able to go out by yourself, and plus, I don't want you hanging around me." The fifteen year old, Rina, snatched her Pokeballs up from her little sisters grasp. Rina looked at Ashley's face, and knew what was coming.

"Muuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuum! Rina hurt me real bad!" Ashley cried out, wanting attention from their mum.  
"Would you be quiet! I'm trying to sleep!" A muffled yet loud voice came from a bedroom upstairs. Rina knew all to well her mum shouldn't be disturbed, her mum was a good mum, at times, but ever since their dad had walked out on them she had turned to drinking. Rina sighed and gave Ashley a cuddle, telling her to be quiet.  
Once Ashley had calmed down Rina made her way upstairs, tip-toeing as to not wake her mum up again. She held onto her Pokeballs proudly as she entered her bedroom. It wasn't that big, but it was big enough for her stuff to fit in. The walls were painted a light yellow colour, but many posters of various Pokemon were up on the walls, much to her mum's dismay. She had floorboards put down, and in the centre was a yellow fluffy rug. In the corner was a normal, plain bed with a few cushions, and of course she had her wardrobe and a dresser. Put her favourite part of her room was the four, brown shelves on the walls, which held all her Pokedolls which she loved. She placed her Pokeballs on the bed, and gently shook the sleeping Pichu. It awoke with a smile on its face.

"Hey Sparky, today's the day we finally leave on our journey!" Rina spoke quietly.  
"Pichu!" Her Pichu, nicknamed Sparky was unusual, instead of their normal pink cheeks, they were a light green. Rina has yet to discover why her very first Pokemon, which was given to her as an egg on her tenth birthday by her cousin, Jordan, was slightly different. Rina sat at her dresser and looked at her reflection, her sapphire eyes staring back at her, her long brown hair was neatly in place, and her pale skin was perfect. She wore a plain light blue top, with a white pleated skirt just above her knees. On her feet were light blue and white striped flat shoes. She decided to hold all the items she would need in a Pikachu backpack. At fifteen, Rina wasn't that tall, but she didn't care.

Rina was originally meant to leave home at the age of ten, like everyone else, but due to her mum's depression, Rina was forced to stay at home to help look after Ashley. But now everything was okay. Her mum was taking classes to help with her drinking problems, along with other people like her, and their neighbour, Sheila was going to help out. In the five long years of waiting, Rina had visited a daycare centre a few times, and decided to help out there with unwanted Pokemon. But Rina had become so attached to certain Pokemon; she was able to keep them.

She stuffed her Pokeballs in her bag, and got up to see her mum and sister one last time. Sparky comfortably sat on her shoulder. She made her way across the hall to her mum's room and pushed the door open slightly. The curtains were still closed and the only light in the room came from the digital clock. 7:45am, it read. Great, just great, she was to reach Sandgem town at 8:00am to see Professor Rowan, and it takes around twenty minutes to get there. She was going to have to hurry up if she didn't want to be late.  
"Mum?"  
"Hm..." A soft moan came from her sleeping mum, which meant she was half awake.

'Probably has a hangover, yet again' Rina thought to herself.  
"I'm leaving now, Sheila will be here in a bit. I'll call you when I get to Sandgem town, love you"  
"..."

No answer.

After saying a tearful goodbye to Ashley, and bumping into Sheila on her way out and saying yet more goodbyes, she finally was ready to leave. She glanced at her watch and saw it was already 7:57am.

"Yikes! Sparky we better get moving!"

Rina ran as fast as her legs could carry her (which wasn't _that _fast) she encountered a few Starly and the occasional Bidoof in the grass, but didn't stop to battle. Besides, her Pokemon were all around level twenty anyway, no use battling level five Pokemon.

It was 8:23 by the time Rina reached Sandgem town; it was yet another small town, with the basic shops and Pokemon centre. Professor Rowan's lab was the biggest building, making it hard to miss. Also there was a small but clean beach. Many Krabby and Shellder could probably be found here.

Rina headed straight for the lab, but as she stepped inside she nearly collapsed due to being tired, so she had to rest a bit. After a few minutes of getting her breath back, she finally spoke to Professor Rowan, he was a fairly tall (kind of scary) looking man. He wore the usual lab coat, and had white hair, along with a white moustache. Many of his assistances were busy doing whatever they did. The lab was filled with various machines and books, but what stood out the most was the table near the back, on it was three Pokeballs – obviously the starter Pokemon.

"S...sorry I'm la-te" Was all she could say, so Rowan shook his head and chuckled a bit.

"It's okay, hello Sparky, good to see you again. Now Rina, here I have a Pokedex, you're already familiar with one of these I believe? If you don't mind I would like you to do me a favour. I'm studying Pokemon you see, and I'm far too old to venture out, so I would like you to gather as much information as possible as you travel around Sinnoh."

Rina, finally having all her breath back, took the red device and placed it in side pocket of her bag.

"Sure professor. Oh! How about I record the information of my Pokemon? I have a few rare ones!" She exclaimed in delight. Rowan nodded in agreement as Rina took out her Pokeballs and released everyone.  
"Oh my! What a collection!"

Stood before them was Sparky, of course, two Eevee, a Starly, and a Ralts. They greeted each other and Rina, then looked strangely at Rowan, having never met him before.  
"The two Eevee are brother and sister!"

Rina took out her Pokedex and first pointed it to Sparky.

"_**Pichu, the electric mouse Pokemon" **_Came a female voice. _**"**__**The electric sacs on its cheeks are small, but can still produce a powerful electric shock. This Pichu is a female, and is currently level 24. The moves known are; Charm, Thunder shock, Thunder wave and Sweet kiss."**_

Rina gave Rowan a confused look.

"Since when does a Pokedex tell you the moves known?" She asked while tilting her head to the side slightly.

"Ah yes, I failed to mention, we recently upgraded it. Now, how about you scan your other Pokemon?"

Rina then pointed the Pokedex at one Eevee.

"I'll just scan one, since I know they have the same moves and are the same level."

"_**Eevee, the evolution Pokemon. A rare Pokemon that takes on harsh environments by taking on different evolutionary forms. This Eevee is a male, and is currently level 22. The moves known are; Tackle, Quick Attack, Sand Attack and Helping Hand."**_

"So that means the other Eevee is female. I'm going to need to be able to tell them apart somehow..."Rina went off into her own little world, wondering how she could tell them apart.

*Cough!* "Ahem!"  
Rina jumped at looked around at Rowan who had a unreadable expression on his face.  
"Uh, sorry... what was that?" She said sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head in embarrassment.

"I was saying. In Jubilife town, which is where you should head next, there is a shop that sells accessories. Maybe you could tell them apart with different coloured ribbons or something?" Rowan kindly suggested. Rina took an immediate liking to the suggestion.

"Oh yes! That's perfect, thank you! I'll just finish scanning my Pokemon then I'll be off."

"_**Starly, the starling Pokemon. Because they are weak individually, they form groups. However they bicker if the group gets too big. This Starly is a female, and is currently level 21. The moves known are; Wing Attack, Double Team, Whirlwind and Tackle."**_

Finally, Rina moved over to Ralts, who was waiting patiently.

"_**Ralts, the feeling Pokemon. It uses the horns on its head to sense human's emotions. It is said to appear in front of cheerful people. This Ralts is a male, and is currently level 18. The moves known are; Growl, Confusion, Teleport and Lucky Chant."**_

"Oh... I had no clue Ralts wasn't even level 20 yet! Looks like I will be training with you for a while then." Rina said as she called back all her Pokemon but Sparky, who preferred Rina's company rather than being alone in a Pokeball, and Ralts, because of the fact he needed training.

"Due to Ralts being male, he will evolve into a Gallade, when you use a certain stone on him."

Rina nodded in understanding, while Rowan continued to talk.

"Also, have you any clue what you might evolve those Eevee's into? I'm sure you know they have many evolutions."

Rina tapped her chin in thought, and wondered about what type she might like.

"Honestly I haven't thought of that much, I'm not to sure yet, maybe I'll depend it on what they want, and not what I want."

"Good idea, now be safe on your journey, and don't forget to call me and your mum every once in a while, and don't forget about that Pokedex."

Rina nodded then waved goodbye and she headed outside of the lab, only to bump into something – or someone.


	2. Gaining A Rival, And A Friend

Gaining A Rival, And A Friend.

"Well, well look who it is. Haven't seen you in a while, so, you're finally leaving on your journey are you?"

A young man's voice, probably a 17year old, could be heard. Rina opened her eyes and saw the black running shoes of someone. She quickly realized the impact had knocked her over, with her being small it wasn't a surprise she fell. As she dusted off her skirt, she looked up to see her childhood enemy standing before her, with a smirk planted on his chubby face.

"Nicholas." Rina said through gritted teeth. One person who really pissed her off and someone she didn't like to bump into that often. He had messy black hair, and green eyes. He was fairly chubby and wore camouflage combat trousers, and a dark green top. Is he planning on joining the army or something?

"So, you got yourself a Ralts huh?" He asked looking down at the Ralts who was slightly frightened by the chubby boy. "Pretty cool, but hey? You also have a weak baby Pichu! Ha, what a laugh! It even has weird cheeks! Oh yeah sure, you'll get real far with that one!" The last sentence was full of sarcasm, Rina could tell, and one thing that pissed her off the most was someone making fun of her Pokemon.  
"Sparky is not weak! She is a very powerful Pokemon!" Rina countered back in anger, Sparky's cheeks releasing small electric volts, showing its anger.  
"Even has a stupid name! How pathetic. Alright then, you claim it's strong? Prove it in a battle with me, right now." Nicholas saw the fear on Rina's face and smirked.

'Can I really beat him? His Pokemon must be well trained by now, I mean, he did start his journey at the age of 12, but none the less, that was a few years ago.' Rina gulped in fright, there was no way she was going to back down without trying, but which Pokemon should she use?

'Of course you can do it! I believe in you, and so does Sparky!' A small voice came from behind Rina's leg, where Ralts was hiding. Rina jumped in shock and looked around, then realized her Ralts was there.

'Ah telepathy, of course'

"Alright! I accept your challenge! Let's go over there, the field is bigger." Rina pointed over to a grassy patch where a few trees could be seen, swaying in the wind.

* * * *

"Sparky, get in there!"

Sparky jumped from Rina's shoulder, and into a battle position. Her being Rina's strongest, she decided the safest way to approach this battle is to use her. Rina had earlier re-called Ralts, because she could tell it was scared of the older boy. Nicholas reached out to his Poke belt, and unclipped one of the Pokeballs, then tossed it into the air.

"Sneasel! Beat this wimp to a pulp!"

Out came a blue-ish Pokemon, which had a pink feather on his head. Rina looked straight at the sharp claws.

"Since I'm going to beat you anyway, have the first move." Nicholas said with pride.

"Sparky! Use Thunderwave! Paralyze that... thing!" Rina commanded while pointing straight at the unusual Pokemon.

The little Pichu jumped up, and then gathered electricity in its green cheeks, before firing a single bolt at Sneasel. Nicholas didn't command an attack, so the bolt hit Sneasel on the chest, making it stagger back slightly.

"Like that hurt! Use Icy Wind now!"

Sneasel fired a surprisingly really cold air from its mouth, which hit Pichu dead on in the face. Rina, having not battled a trainer before, didn't know how to react. The injured Pichu waited for a command, but didn't get one.

"Heh, looks like Rina isn't use to battling. Finish it with Ice Punch." Nicholas smugly told its Sneasel.

Sneasel ran towards the fallen Pichu, with its fist covered in Ice, as it reached closer, Rina finally got her act together.

"Sparky! Try and dodge!" Rina pleaded while watching helplessly as Sparky didn't get out of the way quick enough. Sneasel bought its fist down hard on Pichu's back, leaving a block of ice.

"Pi...Chu..." It struggled to its little feet, but soon after collapsed, unable to take the pain. Rina pleaded for it to get up but Pichu just couldn't do it. As Rina began to walk over to the fallen Pichu, Nicholas spoke again.

"Pathetic. Sneasel, use Ice Punch on the girl! Teach her a lesson."

Rina gasped in shock as she froze in fear. At first Sneasel refused to hurt a human, but because of Nicholas' aggressive behaviour, it obeyed. It was like watching the battle all over again, but instead of Pichu being the target, it was now Rina. Sparky, seeing its friend in danger, desperately tried to stand up to protect her, but the chunk of ice on her back stopped her from standing. Sneasel was really close to Rina, who stood there, too shocked to react. As Sneasel inched closer and closer, Rina squeezed her eyes shut and put her arms up, hoping to not hurt her face.


	3. Quick! We Have To Save Her!

Quick! We Have To Save Her!

Rina waited for the impact, how ever it didn't come. Instead she heard someone shout;

"Vulpix! Quickly use Flamethrower!"

It was a girl's voice, that's for sure. But who was she? Rina pondered whether she should open her eyes or not. When she heard Sneasel cry out, it sounded as if it was in pain. Rina opened her eyes then took her arms away from her face, to see a unconscious Sneasel, a really angry Nicholas, and Sparky was still down. Rina turned her attention to the girl and the Vulpix who was running up to her and Sparky.

"Oh my gosh! Are you okay? That was so close, lucky me and Vulpix heard your Pichu cry out in desperation."

'Wait? Sparky cried out for help? Must of been when I froze up.'

Rina saw Nicholas walk away, muttering to himself. But quickly turned back to Sparky who was in bad shape. Vulpix was nudging her with its nose, but there was no movement from Sparky, apart from the slow rise and fall of her chest, showing she was still breathing.

"Quick! I need to get her to a Pokemon centre and fast!" Rina scooped up Pichu, and ran towards the building with the red roof. She wasn't expecting the new girl to follow, but she could hear footsteps behind her.

'Maybe she's worried for Sparky' A light smile appeared on Rina's face, knowing she would have someone there with her, even if she was a stranger. Rina and the girl, followed by Vulpix burst through the doors, attracting people's attention. A few people gasped, but Rina knew it was probably because of Sparky's oddly coloured cheeks. They ran right up to the counter getting the attention of the pink haired nurse and her Chansey.

"Nurse Joy! Please, my Pichu needs help and fast!"

Nurse Joy, seeing the condition the small Pokemon was in, ordered Chansey to take it on a stretcher into a room out back.

'Please be okay, please'

* * * *

It had been ten long minutes since Sparky was rushed into intensive care. Rina still had the girl's company. She took a look at her to see what she looked like, having not done so before. She had sky blue eyes, and short blonde hair. In her hair was a simple yellow headband. She was wearing a black a top, over it was a yellow waistcoat. She was wearing white shorts, were her Poke belt was, upon inspection she could see a total of four Pokeballs. Lastly, she was wearing white trainers.

The girl, noticing Rina was inspecting her outfit, caught her eyes and gave a warm smile.

"Uh... thanks for saving me earlier." Rina said, smiling back, while stroking Vulpix's head in appreciation.

"No problem. My name is Sky, what's yours?"

"Rina. And my Pichu is called Sparky. So, exactly how old are you? You look younger than me, oh and I'm fifteen, but I only just started my Pokemon journey." Rina decided to start up a conversation, in order to take her mind off of worrying. Sky then re-called her Vulpix back to its Pokeball.

"I'm actually thirteen. I'm not from Sinnoh though, I come from Kanto, and I've been travelling since I was ten. But it hasn't been all fun and games. I've been in many tough fights with this really mean group called 'Team Elemental' they force Pokemon to fight, and it's really horrible." Sky shuddered at the thought of them. Rina was about to reply but the dinging noise from the room Sparky was in distracted them. Rina and Sky both stood up from the chairs they were sitting on, and Nurse Joy came out.

"I'm happy to tell you Sparky is just fine. But she needs to stay over night, so I'll book you both into a room so you can stay tonight." She handed me a set of keys, on it said 'Room 27'.

"Thanks so much Nurse Joy, we appreciate it, can I go and see Sparky please?" Rina asked hopefully. Right now she just wanted to see for herself that Sparky would be okay. Nurse Joy nodded her head and hurried off to someone who just came in, clutching an injured Chimchar.

Rina gestured for Sky to come too, if she wanted. Both girls entered the room and saw Sparky hooked up to a machine, smiling happily to see its loving friend.

"Sparky, I was so worried about you! Oh and this is Sky, she is the one who saved us!" Rina hugged the little Pichu gently, but could see a bit of sadness of Sparky's face. Rina, thinking the obvious, stroked her.

"I know you're feeling pretty down aren't you? It's not your fault you couldn't fight of that Sneasel; after all if it wasn't for you, Sky would never have known we were in trouble."

Sparky lightened up a bit, knowing Rina was right. Sparky's eyes then started to droop; she yawned then snuggled up under the covers. She soon fell asleep so Rina and Sky left silently, and headed to their room. It was now 11:23pm, wow; time sure went fast.

As they entered their room, they noticed it contained a dresser, a bathroom and two single beds.

"Wow, I'm exhausted! I'll change in here if you want, you can change in the bathroom." Sky kindly suggested.

Rina nodded and grabbed her stuff and entered the bathroom. She changed quickly into her yellow pyjama top which has a single picture in the middle of a Pikachu, and the matching bottoms which were covered in Pikachu's. She knocked on the door, and asked if Sky was changed. After finding out she was, she left the bathroom and flopped down on the nearest bed, placing her bag on the floor and her clothes on the end of the bed. Sky accompanied the other bed, and both girls soon fell asleep after saying goodnight.


	4. Trouble In Jubilife

Trouble In Jubilife

After eating breakfast, getting changed into their normal clothes, and gathering their stuff, Rina and Sky left the room, and headed downstairs to the main part of the Pokemon Centre. Walking up to the counter, Nurse Joy noticed the two girls approaching her.

"Morning! Your Pichu is back up to full health, right now she is in the room over there" Nurse Joy pointed to a room to the right, "playing with some other Pokemon."

Rina handed the keys over and thanked her for everything. They headed into the middle sized room, which was painted a light pink colour, and the room was covered in toys and various Pokemon that were staying at the Pokemon Centre. Rina soon spotted Sparky, playing with a Turtwig, Shellos and a Zubat.

"Sparky, its good to see you back up to full strength! Come on, we're leaving now." Rina called out catching her Pokémon's attention. Sparky ran up to her and jumped on her shoulder, rubbing her soft cheek on Rina cheek. The group then left the Pokemon Centre, and Rina realized she was meant to ask Sky an important question, the night before, but had forgotten.

"Sky, I was wondering if you wanted to travel with me. I mean... you don't have to, I would totally understa-"

"Of course I would like to travel with you! I get pretty lonely to tell the truth." Sky interrupted her and her eyes glistened.

Rina gave a small smile, and then suggested they head to the shop, as Rina wanted to buy a few supplies. The two split up so they could gather whatever they needed, and then met up at the counter so they could pay. Sky handed the shop keeper a few Pokeballs, a couple of potions, and some Pokemon food. Once she payed, Rina handed over what she had picked up. Like Sky, she handed over some Pokeballs, various healing items, Pokemon food and a Poke belt, so she could have easier access to her Pokeballs, and a few accessories. After collecting her change, they left.

"Well, the next stop is Jubilife City, there isn't much there, but we have to go that way to get to Oreburgh City, I want to enter in the Pokemon league, what about you?" Rina asked, as they started to leave Sandgem Town and headed to the route that would take them to Jubilife City.

"Well actually, while I was in Hoenn, I competed in contests, and won the grand festival, so now? Well, I'm just travelling; personally I don't like to participate in gym battles."

Rina was surprised to find out Sky had won the grand festival, but she was fine with Sky just wanting to travel, after all, having to stop off at contests would delay her from her gym battles. The two walked in silence for about fifteen minutes, when suddenly Sky's stomach growled. She smiled sheepishly as Rina gave her an amused look.

"Well, looks like someone is hungry! We can stop here and eat, after all, the Pokemon must be hungry too." Rina suggested as she took her three Pokeballs in hand.

"Ah, we haven't introduced our Pokemon yet! Well come on out guys! Time to eat." Sky threw four Pokeballs in the air, Rina did the same and soon eight Pokemon (including Sparky) stood before them, looking at each other curiously. Sky's Pokemon consisted of Vulpix, Misdreavus and a Marill, who looked quite young. Rina took out her Pokedex and scanned all three Pokemon. Meanwhile the Pokemon got acquainted, and Sky gawped over the two Eevee.

"Their so incredibly cute! But how do you tell them apart?" Rina questioned, which made Rina remember the accessories she had bought earlier.

"Oh that's right! Come here you two, I have a present for you both."

Both Eevee scampered over, and looked curiously at Rina who was rummaging through her bag. She took out two bandanas, a red one and a blue one. She tied the red one round the male Eevee's neck, and the blue one round the female Eevee. They admired their new accessories, and jumped onto Rina as a sign of appreciation. Noticing their team mates had got cool presents, Starly, Ralts and Sparky rushed over and gave pleading looks. Sky watched as Rina then explained that she had got them presents too, but explained how they wouldn't fit just yet, and would have to wait until they got bigger. The Pokemon seemed happy enough and joined Sky's Pokemon, and proceeded to talk amongst each other as they waited for their food.

Rina and Sky poured Pokemon food into four bowls, and placed them before the hungry Pokemon. Two Pokemon each shared a bowl, and they soon began to eat gratefully. Rina wasn't much of a cook, so Sky prepared something for them, with Rina helping out on the easy things. After an hour of eating and relaxing, they decided to train the two baby Pokemon; Ralts and Marill.

Rina and Ralts stood on one side, while Sky and Marill stood opposite them. Ralts and Marill got into position and the rest of the Pokemon watched as the two were about battle.

"Lets make this friendly, when one Pokemon is about to faint we'll stop." Rina called out, which Sky then agreed to.

"Okay, Ralts lets use your Confusion!"

Ralts eyes lit up a blue colour, and then pointed towards Marill, who was unable to do anything. Ralts used Confusion to pick up Marill, and then slam it back to the floor. Marill cried out in pain, but managed to get up.

"Marill hang tough! Use Bubblebeam!" Sky countered back, not wanting Marill to get hurt much more.

Marill opened its mouth, took a breath in, and then exhaled a barrage of bubbles, which hit Ralts on its small body. The two continued to fire various attacks, and after a while, both were looking exhausted, so Rina and Sky ended the training. Both girls complimented their Pokemon, and gave suggestions of how to dodge, or how to make their moves more effective.

* * * *

It was getting dark by the time they reached Jubilife City. The building towered up high; it was defiantly a nice city to be in. Sky, who was a lover of shopping squealed over the shops, and said how tomorrow she would go off for a while to get some stuff.

"I think we should get a room in the Pokemon Centre before it's totally booked." Rina made most of the decisions, as she was the more sensible one. Unfortunately for them, they was a bit to late, the Pokemon Centre had no rooms left for them.

"Now what? I don't like camping; I'm scared of the dark! What do we do?!" Sky started to panick, as they stood outside, with nowhere to stay.

Rina shook her shoulders and told her snap out of it. "I'm sure someone nice would let us sleep on the floor or something..."

"Now what are two young girls doing out so late? I couldn't help but over hear you have no where to stay? Well I'm sure I could squeeze you in my house. I have several guest rooms!" A man's voice said to them, they looked at him and saw he was fairly young, maybe in his late twenties. They couldn't tell what he was wearing, because it was quite dark by now.

"Oh thank you! We'd be so grateful!" Before Rina could answer, Sky had answered for the both of them.

The group soon reached a two story house, which was just outside of Jubilife, but now too far out. From the outside, Rina thought it would be really nice, but when they entered, it was dingy; there wasn't much furniture, just a few chairs and a table. There was a light switch, but right now there were no lights on.

"Um? Sir?" Sky started, but didn't know what to say without sounding rude.

Suddenly Rina and Sky were grabbed by several people, and were being forced to the ground and tied up by the wrists, and legs. Rina could see one man holding Sparky, really tightly, and was then thrown into a small cage.

"What's going on?!" Sky screamed and she struggled against the ropes.

Sky and Rina were then forced down onto some chairs, and were then tied up to the chairs they were on. Suddenly the light was switched on, and it took Rina and Sky a moment to adjust their eyes to the light. The man, who had earlier picked them up, was wearing a black and red outfit, with a white 'E' on the sleeve. The men who had grabbed them were wearing the same outfit.

"I know them!" Sky suddenly exclaimed, and Rina gasped at her sudden claim of knowing them.


	5. Team Elemental More Trouble For Sky

"Sky... how do you know them?!" Rina questioned, who was obviously still oblivious to the 'E' on their sleeves.

"That's Team Elemental. I should have known not to trust people! Why am I so stupid!?"

Rina was planning on comforting Sky after; right now she had other things to worry about. Rina took a quick glance over to Sparky, who was using all her power to try and escape the small cage, so she could help her friends, but was having no luck. There must have been about five or six of them, some surrounding Rina and Sky, and a couple keeping an eye on the angry Pichu.

"So, Sky. You thought you got rid of us when you moved here? We still haven't received your knowledge on the legendary Pokemon you are connected to. We aren't going to stop chasing you until you lead us to it, so we can have it for our selves. But now look, you've dragged your new friend here into this mess too." The main guy spoke up, Rina took in all the information, and when he mentioned Sky having a connection to a legendary Pokemon, she was shocked.

"Sky... you _know _a legendary Pokemon?? What is this all about?" Rina wasn't one to be left out in important discussions, but she was also excited to find out her friend actually knows a rare Pokemon.

"Let Rina and Sparky go. They have done nothing to you; they are of no need to you and your creepy plans." Sky ignored Rina's question, and instead glared at the man, and spoke confidently.

"So, your name is Rina eh? Well, it's true you are no use to me. I shall let you go, carry on with your life." The man surprised both Rina and Sky, as he motioned for one of his followers to untie her. Once she was untied, she headed towards Sparky, but was stopped abruptly.

"No, you seem to have misunderstood me, you will be let go, until your friend here tells us what she knows about Mew. Also, you wont be leaving with your precious Pokemon either," this statement made Rina gasp, of course he wasn't going to let her go so easily! So the rare Pokemon Sky knows is Mew. He then carried on talking,

"In fact! I have changed my mind! I wont let you go after all, it's to risky. You there" he pointed to one of the men who was standing around doing nothing, "take her to the room out back, make sure you tie her up, we don't want these two in the same room, we don't quite know what their capable of."

Rina saw her chance to run to the door, but realized there was no point, someone was guarding the door. Again she was grabbed firmly by the arm, and led to a even dingier room out the back, there was a single window, which was slightly cracked.

"Be a good girl and stay here while we interrogate your stubborn friend." He spoke to her as if she was only ten. Once he left and had locked the door, she stood their, wrists tied together, helplessly listening as she could hear Sky screaming. Rina knew straight away they were hurting her, probably because Sky wouldn't co-operate.

'I have to get help! Who knows what could happen to Sky if I don't act fast.' Rina looked out of window, it was still not totally dark outside, but not many people were out at this time. Out of pure luck though, she spotted a boy, around the age of sixteen, with a younger girl, who looked around eleven. She knew they were probably heading home, so she acted fast. She knew all to well this would hurt, but she didn't care right now, she banged her tied up hands (they were not tied behind her back) on the already cracked window, catching the two kid's attention.

As they moved closer to the window she could see they had a Chimchar with them, which was producing light, the boy had brown hair and green eyes, and was wearing a white t-shirt and black combat trousers, the girl was dressed in a pink dress, with white sandals. Once they were right up to the window, she spoke to them.

"You have to help me! These men have me and my friend hostage, their torturing her! Get Officer Jenny, and bring her here, please!" Another scream could be heard from Sky, which they kids also faintly heard. They heard Rina clearly, and the boy replied,

"Don't worry! We'll get help right away!" With that they ran off, to get help. Rina winced as she noticed the sudden pain in her hands, from where she had hit the window.

After a few more screams, which made Rina start to cry at the sound of her friends cries, and some more shouting from the men, Rina could hear Police sirens from outside. She sat staring at the door, tears running down her cheeks, as she heard the police force their way in, suddenly the door was kicked down, which revealed a female officer, who came running up to Rina, as she helped her out. Once she was outside the house, she could see many people, watching as Rina appeared. People gasped at the state she was in, but gasped even louder at the younger girl behind her.

It was then that Rina noticed the police were holding Sky, and were rushing to her aid. She was covered in bruises and blood, her hair was a mess, and her cheeks were stained from her tears, which made Rina cry even more. The boy and girl from before were amongst the crowd, watching in fear as Rina and Sky were carried to the Pokemon Centre, which wasn't just for Pokemon. The crowd started muttering about how evil people could be. One thing then rushed into Rina's mind, which made her scream out, getting everyone's attention.

"Sparky! Where's my Pichu!?"

People in the crowd started looking around, wondering who was with the poor girls Pichu. Just then a small yellow creature ran up to Rina, who was glad to see it was Sparky, she was unharmed, but was crying at the sight of her and Sky.

"Sparky, don't worry, we'll be fine." Rina reassured her frightened Pokemon as she reached down and picked her up, cradling her.

The crowd soon died down as Rina and Sky disappeared into the Pokemon Centre, assisted by many Officers.

"Oh my! What on earth happened?" Nurse Joy was rushing around, gathering some medicines, and then led the two girls and the Officers to a large room.

Rina didn't have any injuries, apart from the small cuts on her hand, so as Sky was tended to, Rina was telling an Officer about what happened.

"-And that's when you came." She had told them everything, starting from when they were led of by a strange man, up to when they were rescued. Nurse Joy felt guilty, for she was the one who didn't have a place for them to stay. Rina hadn't yet spoken to Sky properly, so when the Officer then asked for details of what happened to her, Rina listened just as carefully.

"When they had Rina in a different room, they asked me to come with them, so I could show them where Mew was. I have connections to Mew, because I once saved it from stray Pokemon back in Kanto. I refused, so they started hitting me, threatening to hurt anyone I cared about..." Sky then started to cry at the memories of what had happened, Rina moved next to her, and hugged her, rubbing her back telling her it was okay.

"We can see how upset you are, so you wont have to carry on, we have enough information, Nurse Joy has offered for you to stay in the main part of the Pokemon Centre, don't worry though, the doors will be locked so you'll be safe."

Rina then realized something. She could have missed it, but she didn't remember seeing Team Elemental being taken away by the police.

"They got away didn't they...?" She suddenly said, receiving a scared look from Sky, Sparky was sitting protectively by Rina and Sky. Officer Jenny sighed and lowered her head.

"Unfortunately yes. As soon as we broke in they used this type of device. They vanished without a trace. We have no idea what kind of device it was, but don't worry we will track them down. For now I think you should get some sleep, Sky your injuries aren't as bad, you just have a few bruises, but they'll heal up soon."

With that Rina, Sky and Sparky stood up, with Rina's arm protectively around Sky's shoulders. They entered the lobby and saw a sofa bed made up for them. Rina glanced at the clock and saw it was 11:49pm, meaning it was closing time, so the doors would already be locked. Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny left them to get changed, and to get some sleep.

After getting changed, Rina and Sky climbed into the bed, and decided to sleep near each other, because Sky was still upset that they had got away. Sparky was sleeping next to Rina, wishing she could have done more, even if she was stuck in a small cage.

"Rina? I'm sorry for getting you into this today." Sky apologized, obviously feeling guilty for Rina now being involved.

"Don't worry about it Sky, it's not your fault. You're like a little sister to me, even though we've only known each other for a few days." Rina gave her a gentle hug, and after a few minutes she could tell Sky had fallen asleep.

Before falling asleep herself, she remembered something else; she hadn't thanked that boy and girl yet for getting help.


	6. Dates and Poketchs

"Come on Rina! I want to go shopping!"

Sky had been like this all morning. It was as if last night never happened, and everything was just great. Sky had been cheerful, bouncing all over the place, and looking at the tall buildings more carefully now that it was daylight and she could see more. Rina knew she hadn't forgotten, but she wanted to, so she didn't bring Sky's happy mood down.

"Sky? I know this might not be the best of ideas because of..." Rina trailed off not knowing how to put it without making Sky unhappy. She didn't have to worry though as Sky finished off her sentence, with surprising words.

"No need to worry Rina! Last night is in the past, I'm fine honestly. You go off and train, how about we meet back at the Pokemon Centre around 12:00pm?" When Sky said she was fine, she said it with a serious face, showing that she really was okay.

Rina glanced at her watch and saw it was 10:00am. That gave her two whole hours to train. Rina nodded and smiled as she watched the younger girl rush off to the biggest shop they had seen so far.

"Well Sparky, it's you and me for a few hours. Let's find somewhere to train." Rina took a quick look around and saw a big field just outside of Jubilife City, but it was no where near that house they were in last night. Rina shuddered at the thought of it, but put the memories to the back of her head.

The clearing had few trees, giving more space for Rina and her Pokemon. She released her Pokemon and explained to them that the first Gym was a rock/ground type, which meant Rina had no Pokemon that could easily take them down.

"Okay Sparky, sorry but I cant use you because your electric attacks won't work at all. Ralts, I'll be counting on you and your Confusion attack. Starly, I'll use you as well, and I think I will use you" she pointed to the male Eevee, luckily his sister and Sparky didn't seem to mind, knowing full well they would be used some other time.

"Starly, I want you to practice dodging Sparky's Thunder shock okay? And Ralts and Eevee, you two keep attacking and dodging. Remember, make it friendly."

They all rushed off to various spots to train, while Rina and the remaining Eevee sat under a tree observing.

"Starly you're doing great! Remember though, you need to be quick, and when Sparky is caught off-guard that is when you attack." Seeing Ralts was struggling to focus on his Confusion, Rina went over there to help.

"Now first of all clear your mind, and focus only on my bag." Rina had put her bag near Ralts, so they could practice on a target that well... doesn't move. "When your mind is set on my bag, use Confusion!"

Ralts managed to use Confusion for a few seconds on the bag, until he lost focus and dropped it. Rina placed a comforting hand on Ralts' head and stroked him.

"Don't worry; with a bit more practice you'll get the hang of it." She soothed.

"Your Pokemon are looking good. And you're certainly looking much better than last night." A somewhat familiar voice came from behind, Rina turned to see the boy from last night, along with his sister who was cooing over Sparky. Their Chimchar wasn't with this time.

"Oh! Thanks for last night; I completely forgot to thank you as I was in such a state." Rina smiled warmly at him, which he then smiled back.

"Oh don't mention it, it was nothing. I'm Daniel, and my sister is called Emily." He extended his hand, which Rina accepted and they shook hands.

"Rina. My friend is called Sky, but right now she's off shopping, she really recovered well from last night." They stopped shaking hands and turned their attention to Emily, who was looking at up Rina.

"Rina? Can I play with your Pokemon please?"

"Sure, their all very friendly. Oh and Pichu has a nickname, Sparky."

Emily ran off to play with the Pokemon, who didn't seem to mind. There was an awkward silence between to the teenagers, Rina often shuffling on her feet, or looking up at the sky, or over to Emily. It was Daniel who broke the silence first.

"Can you climb trees?" He asked with a smirk, as he pointed to one of the trees, not to far away.

Rina looked shocked for a moment, not knowing how to answer. Truth was she was never good at climbing trees. She gave him a determined face then grinned.

"Of course I can! Race you!" Rina sprinted in the direction of the tree, with Daniel right behind her. He over took her and got to the tree first, which he started to climb. He got to the lowest branch, and sat on it, looking down at Rina waiting for her to hurry up. She looked at the tree, trying to look as if she was planning a route; Daniel soon caught on though and laughed.

"Thought you could climb trees?" He mocked her, laughing as she pouted and pleaded for his help.

He reached his arm down, and took hold of her left arm; the branch was only a bit off the floor, so it was easy for them to reach each other. Using her free arm she pushed her self up onto the branch, well Daniel did most of the work.

"I... couldn't climb because I am in a skirt, that's all. If I was wearing shorts or trousers, I would of beat you." She stuttered at first, but managed to come up with a lame excuse, which at the time she thought was brilliant.

The two began talking about Pokemon, Team Elemental, just various things that would start a conversation. Time seemed to go slowly, Emily and the Pokemon had fallen asleep under a nearby tree, but when Rina took a quick glance at her watch she saw it was already 12:17pm. She had forgotten she was meant to meet Sky!

"Crap! I was meant to meet Sky at 12:00! So sorry Daniel, but I can't leave her waiting any longer, especially since those good for nothings are about. I've had a great time! I'll see you soon." She had no trouble jumping down from the tree, landing almost perfectly. She started to run to where Emily and everyone was sleeping and woke her up.

"Emily, sorry but we really have to go. You guys! Move your lazy bums! We're late meeting Sky!"

Hearing this they woke with a start, having all known by now that Sky wasn't safe by herself anymore. Rina ran frantically back to Jubilife City, with her Pokemon running behind, except Starly who was flying.

"See you Rina! Thanks for letting Emily play with them!" Daniel called out, which Rina waved in response. He watched her and her Pokemon desperately running (flying) back to where Sky would be waiting.

'She's so cute.'

* * * *

Rina apologized over and over to Sky, who simply brushed off her apology, claiming she had nearly forgotten too, and she was a bit late. Rina wasn't sure if Sky was telling the truth, or if she just wanted to make Rina feel better.

"So, how was your date?" Sky teased, Rina had told her about meeting Daniel and Emily properly, amusing Sky the whole time.

"It was not a date!" Rina blushed slightly at the thought of sitting in a tree with a cute boy, as a date.

The two were approached by a fat man dressed as a clown, holding several papers in his hand.

"Hello there! I am working for a Jubilife company, we have recently bought out a new Poketch, which is a must have! Around here is two more clowns, they will have similar coupons to this one, I am handing out the first one for free. If you are interested, take this and find the other clowns, then when you have all three coupons go to the radio station." He offered a red coupon, which had the number one on it. Sky took it and said how she's always wanted one.

They already knew where the radio station was, so now they just had to find two clowns. After five minutes of wandering, Sky spotted a clown, who was handing a woman a coupon. Sky and Rina rushed over to him and showed him the coupon.

"Ah! So you want a Poketch too eh? Well answer this simple question and you will get coupon number three! There are three starter Pokemon in this region, Piplup, Chimchar and who?"

Sky easily answered Turtwig, and received the third coupon which was green. They then set of to find the clown with the second one. He was a bit harder to find, but managed to follow the woman from earlier, and answer yet another easy question, and the blue coupon. With all three coupons in hand, they headed to the Radio Station. It was another tall grey building, inside they approached a man in a navy suit, who had a box next to him, filled with pink and blue Poketchs. Sky handed them over and was rewarded with a pink Poketch.

"I finally have one of these! I cant wait to get all the applications! Rina, why didn't you get one too?"

"I like my watch, but anyway, we should start to make our way to Oreburgh City, I'm getting bored of this place."

Sky nodded in understanding, and started to head east once they had left Jubilife, it would take at least a day to reach there, so Rina knew she would have some more time to train, since she had been interrupted earlier. She couldn't help but wonder, was her time with Daniel, a date? It was quite cute, sitting in a tree, getting to know each other, but then she thought of how she hardly knew him.

'A date! Ha, what was Sky thinking, that was so not a date' It was stupid once Rina thought about it. But Sky didn't think so, and what did Daniel think...?

**A.N**

**Omg I realized I haven't been writing any notes at the end of each chapter, or doing the disclaimer! ;O Bad Sarah...**

**Okay so I'm surprised at myself for updating pretty fast! Well next week I'm back at school -_- So updates probably wont be as fast as these, but I'll try =) I'm going to do the disclaimer once, because I tend to forget...**

**Disclaimer: PP Does NOT own Pokemon or the Sinnoh region, however she does own the OC's and Sparky (because of it's unusual green cheeks), unless stated otherwise (meaning if in future I ask someone to submit an OC, which I probably will in a few chapters.**


	7. Vs Roark

Vs Roark!

After finally arriving in Oreburgh City, and resting for a day, the time had finally come for Rina to challenge the Gym leader. Ralts had recently perfected his Confusion attack, much to everyone's delight. Walking into the building, there was many fossils on display, and the usual large battlefield, along with a place for judge to stand, and the stands by the field, so people could watch. Including Sky, there were a few other people in the stands, wanting to watch the gym battle. Of course, Rina had no clue who they were, but she wasn't bothered.

The judge held a red flag in his right hand, and a green one in the other. Rina was on the green side, whereas Roark was on the red side. The judge had a simple yellow/brown outfit on, while Roark was wearing a hard red hat, with a light on it. His hair was brown and kind of long. He had a simple pair of black glasses on, and he wore a grey and yellow jacket, with matching trousers, plain black boots and a black top. On his hands was a pair of white gloves, with a yellow rim.

"This shall be a three on three battle with no time limit. Only the challenger may substitute her Pokemon. When all three Pokemon on one side is unable to battle, the battle will stop. Begin!" The judge explained the rules, same old same old, no change to the rules then.

Rina took a Pokeball in her hand, and looked carefully at Roark, who was waiting patiently for her to call out her first Pokemon.

"Starly, you're up first!" Rina released the small bird Pokemon, who gave a battle cry. She hovered around in the air, waiting for her opponent to show its face.

"Hmm, a flying type won't have much of a chance but I won't underestimate it yet. Geodude, you can handle this one."

A rock with no body and two arms emerged, staring down the small bird. It defiantly didn't look that powerful, but you never know. Rina quickly scanned it on her Pokedex, learning it was only level 12. Her Pokemon were level 20-something!

'Piece of cake'

"Starly, we have to get in closer, use Tackle!"

"Tackle? Is that all you've got? Geodude dodge then use Rock Throw."

Starly flew in towards Geodude, who was waiting for Starly to come close enough. When Starly got close, Geodude moved aside, and prepared to use Rock Throw.

"Not so fast! Starly turn and use Wing Attack!" Rina was planning this all along, much to Roark's surprise; he wasn't too concerned though, since flying types have nearly no affect on rock/ground Pokemon. Starly did as told and done a u-turn, outstretching its wings, which then glowed as it smashed into Geodude, knocking it back slightly, only because Starly was a much higher level.

"Geodude, your fine! Now get up and try your Rock Throw again!" Roark encouraged its Pokemon, which Geodude responded to by getting up and throwing rocks towards Starly.

"Oh really? Well watch this. Starly use Double Team to evade." Starly quickly made several duplicates of itself, each one surrounding Geodude in a circle, confusing the rock Pokemon. Rock Throw was unsuccessful, and seeing her chance Rina didn't hold back.

"Now use Whirlwind!"

The duplicates faded, and Starly was left hovering behind Geodude. Starly started to flap its wings, preparing to knock Geodude out of it.

"Geodude quick behind you!"

Geodude turned around, but it was too late, Starly had already knocked Geodude into a rock, making it faint instantly.

"Geodude cannot battle, which means the first round goes to Rina and Starly!" The judge declared the end of this battle, making Roark re-call his unconscious Pokemon.

Several cheers came from the stands, mainly Sky's as she stood up and did a little dance, quite embarrassing, but oh well. Rina re-called Starly and thanked it for all of its work. Roark was first to call out his second Pokemon, revealing a large snake like Pokemon, made out of rock. Rina scanned it on her Pokedex; finding out it was an Onix.

"Eevee, you can handle this one!" Rina tossed her Pokeball, emerging from it a brown fox wearing a red bandana.

"Use Sand Attack!" Rina didn't hold back, and wasn't about to give Roark the chance of going first. Eevee turned around, and started kicking sand into Onix with its hind legs.

"Onix get out of there, then use slam!" Onix moved away from the little Pokemon kicking sand around, and brought its tail up, and then slamming it into Eevee, who cried out in pain. Eevee fell to the ground, scratches covering its small body, but it managed to shakily stand up.

"Eevee, I believe in you! Use Quick Attack." Eevee darted towards Onix; a determined expression on its face, it really didn't want to let Rina down.

"Come on Rina, normal attacks aren't going to help you! Onix, don't move. It won't hurt you." Onix stood its ground as Eevee edged closer and closer.

Rina smirked and commanded Eevee to climb onto its head. The little fox ran with lightning speed up Onix's tails, and finally reaching its head.

"Now Sand Attack!" Eevee kicked bits of sand from its hind legs that was stuck to its paws after running around, in Onix's eyes, blinding it for a while.

"Onix! You can't see, so shake Eevee of!" Roark panicked for Onix, because of the state it was in. Eevee struggled to stay on as Onix shook its head violently. Eventually Eevee was thrown off and was thrown into a big rock, making Eevee faint.

"Eevee cannot battle! This round goes to Roark and Onix," the judge declared Eevee unable to carry on.

"Eevee! You were fantastic, have a nice rest." Rina praised him while returning him to the safety of his Pokeball.

Onix was also returned to its Pokeball, and praised by Roark.

"Well Rina, this last battle will decide the winner. I'm not going to go easy on you."

"I wouldn't want you to. I saved my Pokemon who has the advantage for last; because I know Gym Leaders always leave _their _best Pokemon till last."

Both trainers threw their last Pokeball; Rina's was of course her Ralts, while Roark had his Cranidos. Rina scanned it on her Pokedex, and learnt it had amazing speed.

"So, you have a Ralts, huh? Pretty good advantage, but does that mean you can get passed Cranidos' speed?"

"We'll see, but I must let you know, my Ralts is no pushover. He is a hard worker, and won't back down easily. Let's show them Ralts! Confusion."

Ralts focused on Cranidos, his eyes turning blue as he blasted a surprised Cranidos into a rock. Cranidos soon recovered, and was commanded by Roark to use Headbutt. Cranidos ran towards Ralts who desperately tried to dodge it, but Cranidos was just too fast. Ralts fell to ground but that wasn't enough to defeat him. Ralts stood back up and glared at Cranidos with anger.

"Ralts let's get its defences down. Use Growl!" Ralts started to growl at Cranidos, whose stats were slightly lowered.

"Cranidos use Zen Headbutt." Cranidos' head started to glow a blue colour, then raced towards Ralts who was looking at Cranidos with fear.

"Quick Ralts, get out of there! Use Double Team!" Ralts snapped out of it at the sound of its friends voice, and it made several duplicates of itself, confusing Cranidos and making it come to a halt as it looked at all the Ralts' standing around it.

"Good job! Use Confusion again." Ralts' duplicates faded away one by one, leaving the real Ralts standing beside Cranidos, who didn't notice it in time, its eyes glowed blue and it once again blasted Cranidos with amazing power. Rina grinned as she watched Cranidos fall to the ground, and didn't get back up.

"Cranidos cannot battle. That means the victor of this match is Rina!" The judge declared Rina the winner, making her hug Ralts in delight.

"You were just amazing. Thank you so much!"

'Ah I was good wasn't I?' Ralts giggled as it spoke through telepathy.

Rina recalled it to its Pokeball as Roark approached her. He handed a small grey metal badge which she accepted with a smile on her face.

"This is the coal badge; it proves you have managed to defeat me and my Pokemon. Your Pokemon showed so much determination and courage, you should be proud."

"I am. Thank you for a great battle Roark." Rina showed Sparky the badge and then showed it off to Sky who had approached her.

"Well done Rina! That was so wonderful to watch!" Sky smiled at her and praised her hard work.

"Well, we should be going. I want to go to the Pokemon Centre so Nurse Joy can see to my Pokemon. I'll see you again Roark!" Rina and Sky waved at Roark, who waved in return, as they left the Gym, and headed towards the Pokemon Centre.

**A/N: Oh gosh sorry for the late update! On Tuesday and Wednesday I had the worst headache ever! So I couldn't go on the laptop much, so this chapter took me about 3 days XD.**

**Sorry about the gym battle, but I find them really boring to write, so when it got to the third match I sort of gave up :P And another apology for the length of my chapters! I realized they are quite short...**

**Also I still need someone to submit an OC! But the OC will be a bad person. I need this information,**

**Name:**

**Age:**

**Gender:**

**Pokemon: (NO legendaries!)**

**Past: (If any)**


	8. Cookies And Snorlax!

While sitting in the Pokemon Centre waiting for Rina's Pokemon to be looked after, the two girls sat at a table, drinking milkshakes. Rina had chosen her favourite; chocolate, while Sky had chosen banana. Watching the TV out of boredom, they could see a battle going on between Cynthia; the Pokemon League master, and a challenger called Sam. Both were down too their last Pokemon. Cynthia with her Togekiss and Sam with his Pidgeot. Unfortunately for Sam, his Pidgeot fainted after one last Sky Attack from Togekiss. Turning away from the TV, Rina could see Sky admiring a Leafeon, who was playing with its trainer, from where she was sitting.

"Crap!!"

Sky turned and gave Rina a questioning look after her sudden outburst. Rina, noticing Sky waiting for an answer, told her.

"I was meant to call my mum!" Rina ran to the phone, and dialled a number. Sky sighed at her and her forgetful ways.

Rina wasn't on the phone for long, as she was interrupted by a commotion going on with Sky and another girl. Rina hung up and walked over to the small commotion, which now had an audience of childish kids shouting 'fight'.

"Sky? What's-"Rina was cut off by a truly angry Sky, who was red in the face.

"This girl's Snorlax just downed _both _of our milkshakes in one! The shame of some people and not being able to handle their own Pokemon. I swear you so owe me for that!"

The girl Sky was shouting at was around the age of fifteen, and had short, unusual coloured hair; pink. Magenta to be precise. She had a full fringe which came just above her eyebrows. Actually, nearly everything about her was unusual, she had these big orange eyes, which were quite intimidating. She was wearing a purple belly top, which had a black star in the middle. She was also wearing green shorts, with a pocket on either side. On her feet was a pair of beige sandals. She was taller than both Rina and Sky, and she honestly didn't look too scared of Sky. She hadn't even flinched at Sky's aggression. Instead she was clutching a yellow packet. When Rina observed it, she could see they were a bag of cookies. By her side was a Snorlax, but it was a bit fatter looking than an average Snorlax. It was sitting on the ground, watching with a blank expression on its face.

Sky then realized the girl wasn't even answering back. In fact; it didn't look as if she was even listening. The most weirdest thing about this girl was her facial expression. She looked...dopey. Like she didn't even know what was going on.

"Hey! I'm talking to you! Are you gonna pay us back for the milkshakes or what?" Sky's face was less red, now she was looking confused, and a bit confused. Then the weirdest thing ever happened. She thrust her cookie packet forward and in an innocent voice said;

"Cookie??" She waved the packet in Sky's face a bit, before Sky became irritated and pushed her arm away. Her Snorlax was still sitting there; dumbly. Sky wasn't the only one who was irritated now; Nurse Joy had come back with Rina's Pokemon and told the girl her Snorlax was just to big to be inside, and it was blocking people's way.

"Look, let's have a Pokemon battle! You're beginning to annoy me."

The girl blinked a few times, and then gave an even dopier smile. Once taking their positions, a fairly big crowd had formed, eager to see a Pokemon battle. The girl introduced herself as Tizzy.

"I'm going to use... Misdreavus!" Sky through her Poke ball and out came her little ghost type.

"Go on Tubby, show them what you can do, kick her butt!" Tizzy squealed, it took some time for Snorlax to get into position, and once he got there, he looked a bit tired.

'Man, what does that girl feed him?! And she even called it Tubby!' Rina thought about what he must eat, she knew Snorlax are always big, but not that big!

"Tubby, use your Hydro Pump!" Tizzy jumped with joy as she called her command. Many murmurs came from the crowd as Snorlax didn't do anything but turn to Tizzy and give her a confused look.

"Err... Tizzy? I don't think Snorlax can learn that move..." Sky said with a small sigh.

'Trust me to finally battle, but to a girl who doesn't even know her Pokémon's moves.'

"Misdreavus, use Psywave!" A pink and purple beam came from its eyes, and hit Snorlax straight in the stomach, only for the attack to bounce right back off!

"What the?"

"Yays! Now let's use Frenzy Plant! Go on my lumpy bff!" Her eagerness was something, but her knowledge? It could be better... again Snorlax was confused, and scratched its head to show it.

"This is so stupid. Misdreavus, finish it off with another Psywave." But again that failed, the attack just bounced right off. "Again, again!" After several more attacks, Snorlax was left unscratched and in perfect condition.

"Arg! Misdreavus charge at it!" The little ghost Pokemon wasn't to sure, obviously worried about the size comparison, but it listened anyway and charged towards Snorlax. As Misdreavus charged into its belly, it got stuck, and tried to wriggle out.

"Eek! Misdreavus get out of its belly!" Snorlax sucked in, and then back out, sending Misdreavus flying towards Sky, who managed to catch it. Snorlax scratched the spot on its belly where Misdreavus got stuck, then pulled a goofy smile.

"This is so stupid! I give up. That Snorlax shouldn't be in a battle!" Sky huffed while thanking Misdreavus and calling it back. Rina noticed she was the only person left in the crowd, the battle was quite dull, and so she wasn't surprised.

"Tubby! You were fantastical! Here have a cookie, on me!"

Sparky sighed at the sight of Snorlax eating the cookie in one. Sky joined Rina and the two left without a word. They didn't want to stick around, especially with a crazy girl and her over-sized Pokemon about.

* * * *

"So where are we going now?" Sky asked Rina with curiosity. The two had forgotten about their encounter with Tizzy, and they didn't want to see her any time soon.

"We're heading back to Jubilife City, so we can go north from there and visit Floaroma Town. It's going to take about three to four days though..." One thing Rina hated was a long journey between the towns. It made her so exhausted and fed up.

"I'm used to it by now. I've been travelling for three years already."

"Lucky you..."

* * * *

It had been a day now, and the two had finally just got passed Jubilife City, and were now heading towards Floaroma Town. They had stopped at the Pokemon Centre as usual, because they were obviously very worn out. They had left Jubilife a few hours ago, and were currently in a very deep forest. The sun was trying to come through, but the many trees stopped much daylight entering. Sparky, who was walking in front of them, suddenly came to a halt. She looked left and right and tilted her head slightly.

"Sparky, what is it?" Rina also looked to where Sparky was looking, which was a few bushes. They seemed to be rustling, so Rina got ready for whatever Pokemon was about to come out.

The Pokemon that appeared was a blur to them, as it was unusually fast, but they could see it heading towards Sky, who didn't notice in time. Sky let out a cry as she fell to her knees, and clutched her side. The blur disappeared, and Rina and Sparky ran over to Sky.

"Sky! What's wrong? Why are you holding your side?"

Sky was starting to cry as she took her hand away from her side. Rina could only gasp at what she saw, while Sky looked at the mark on her. She cried harder at what she saw. A sort of blue and purple mark was seeping with a substance.

Poison.

**A/N**

**I'm so sorry for not updating! I have work experience this week; I'm working in a vetinary surgery. Its pretty cool, but that's been taking over my time on the laptop, as i don't get home till around 5:00ish now. So, cliff-hanger! All will be revealed next chapter if your wondering why Sky just got attacked. Tizzy, is my very good friends OC. She will be making random appearances. Also her other OC and Autumnchronicles OC will be mentioned next chapter, and will both be making an appearance in the chapter after that. **

**R&R Please! =)**


	9. Hospitalization and Evolution

Hospitalization and Evolution.

Rina had acted fast, she had already sent Starly to the Floaroma Town hospital to get help, and had comfortably placed Sky propped up against a tree. Sparky helped Rina with whatever she needed. Sky wasn't looking good. It had already been seventeen minutes since Starly was sent, and there was still no sign of the little bird Pokemon. Side effects were starting to kick in, such as sweating and heavy breathing. Rina reached into Sky's bag and pulled out a cloth, then took one of Sky's Pokeballs in hand. She called out Marill for help, who had begun to panic at the sight of its friend.

"Calm down Marill. Sky is very sick and if you use your Water Gun on this cloth then-"

Rina was unable to finish her sentence because Marill had sprung into action. It sprayed the cloth with cold water, and watched as Rina placed it on Sky's head; in order to stop the sweating and make her cooler. Sky smiled great fully and lifted her heavy hand to pet the Pokemon. She closed her eyes but left her hand on Marill's head. For a second Rina, Sparky and Marill all panicked, thinking the worst. The slow rise and fall of her chest showed she was still alive, making Rina sigh in relief.

Marill shifted its body; so it was resting against Sky, which Sparky then copied, in order to comfort the suffering girl. Rina looked at the spot were the poison was, and realized it had become slightly swollen. Rina had no idea what she should do in this situation, so instead she kept an eye out for any signs on Starly. After several minutes of anticipation, Rina was attracted to the squawking of a bird, which was then followed by a siren. She looked to see Starly flying in front of an ambulance. Starly landed on Rina's shoulder and rubbed her head against Rina's.

"Starly you did great. Take a long rest now." She returned Starly to its Pokeball, and watched as Sky was placed on a stretcher and placed in the ambulance, Sparky and Marill at Rina's side. She was told she could come as well if she was with Sky.

Rina was asked by a nurse what happened, which she then explained as best as she could, all the while glancing over at Sky to see if she was still breathing. Rina zoned out for the rest of the journey thinking back to what had happened. She didn't mention that she thought she knew who could possibly be behind all of this. If her assumptions were correct, she didn't want the police to deal with Team Elemental. She wanted to get revenge herself for putting Sky through so much pain.

"Rina!"

Rina snapped out of her thoughts and looked up to see one of the nurses looking at her curiously.

"We're at the hospital, your Pokemon have already gone in. Are you coming are would you rather sit in this boring ambulance?" The nurse made a small joke, hoping to lift Rina's spirit, but failed.

Rina stood up and got out of the ambulance and into the hospital, where she was led to a room which had Sky in. Through out all of this Rina's face remained expressionless, but as soon as she saw Marill and Sparky standing on some chairs so they could see through the window, she knew she had to smile; she had to be there for them.

"Hey, don't you worry about Sky. She is strong, she'll pull through this, you'll see." Rina hugged both Pokemon before sitting down and also watching as the doctors tended to Sky.

'Sky will be okay, wont she?' Rina thought.

Rina took one last glance at her watch; 4:37pm, before drifting off.

* * * *

Rina slowly opened her eyes and blinked a few times. She stretched her arms and soon realized Sparky and Marill had fallen asleep. The realization of the day soon kicked in and Rina noticed it was now 6:18pm. She looked through the window and saw Sky sleeping peacefully, no doctors were in the room, so they had obviously finished tending to her while she was asleep. A pink haired nurse approached her with a smile.

"Nice sleep?" She giggled as Rina turned slightly red with embarrassment.

"Uhh, yeah, thanks." The nurse giggled once more then smiled at Rina.

"The doctor told me to inform you that Sky is going to back to full health in a few days. Luckily the poison wasn't that strong, meaning the Pokemon was quite weak. We think the poison came from a Croagunk, but we're still looking into it. All of the poison has been removed, so unfortunately Sky won't be able to leave for three or four days."

Rina's face lit up and she didn't care the least that she would have to hang around for a few days. "Thanks so much!"

"Hey, you must be hungry. Why don't you go and get something to eat? Sky probably wont wake up for a while. If you want we can keep an eye on the Pokemon if they don't go with you. There is a cafe and the food is free for anyone staying here. It's just along this hallway, you can't miss it."

"Yeah I think I could do with something to eat. I'll just see if they want to come too." She gestured towards the sleeping Pokemon, but she didn't have to wake them up, as they slowly awoke and showed that they were hungry.

"Alright come on then. Just to let you know Sky is fine but we have to stay here for a few days while she gets her strength back." The three walked down the hallway in search of the cafe which wasn't to far down. Rina ended up with a chicken burger, while Sparky and Marill had Pokemon food.

They sat at a table in silence, eating their food. Not many people were in the cafe, so they easily found a table near the door. Once they were finished, Rina decided to go and train for a while, before going to see Sky.

"Hey you! Want to battle me? My Pokemon are strong and will be hard for you!" A young boy dressed in a yellow t-shirt and blue shorts approached Rina, who accepted his challenge, itching for a fight.

"Alright shorty, I'll battle you. One Pokemon each." Rina smirked at her insult, and the look on the boys face.

"I'll show you!" He ran to one side and faced Rina.

"Names Timmy."

"Rina."

He pulled out a Pokeball and threw it. "Go Glameow!" A purple cat with a spring-like tail materialized, it gave a cry as it landed perfectly.

"I'll use, Starly!" Rina also threw her Pokeball, and Starly came out and gave a determined look as it saw it was in a battle.

"Hey shorty, you can go first."

"Glameow use Fury Swipes!" Glameow leapt forward and brought its claws out. It slashed Starly a few times before Starly moved out of the way.

"Starly hurry and use Tackle. Hit it hard!" Starly flew forward and tackled Glameow, making it fall back a bit.

"Now while its down use Wing Attack." Starly's wings lit up as she prepared to strike Glameow while it was still down.

"Don't let it! Grab it with your tail." Starly was stopped as Glameow used its springy tail to grab Starly. Rina watched in dismay as Starly struggled to break free.

"Nice! Now use Shock Wave." Timmy smirked as Rina gasped in shock.

'An electric type move?! Starly can't take that.' Rina thought as she panicked.

Glameow's body sparked a blue colour, as the electricity surged through Starly's body, making it fall to the ground once Glameow dropped it.

"No, Starly! Please, try to get up!" Starly heard Rina's pleas and refused to give up. Suddenly Starly's body became enveloped in a bright light. Its body started to grow bigger, and her wings spread out. Once the light dimmed, a bigger bird stood there. Starly had evolved into a Staravia.

"Yes! Well done Starl- I mean Staravia. Now lets finish this with a Wing Attack."

Staravia however, didn't use Wing Attack but instead used a completely different move. She moved at lightening speed, her wings spread wide and she struck Glameow, making it faint.

"Wow. I think that was an Aerial Ace! Staravia you did it! Your the best!" Rina ran to her newly evolved Pokemon and hugged it.

Timmy had recalled his Glameow, and shook hands with Rina before leaving.

"You did well, now take a rest." Rina also recalled her Pokemon and smiled at Sparky and Marill.

"Lets go and see if Sky is awake now." Both Pokemon joyfully agreed, and they all began to race towards the hospital, wanting to get there first.


	10. Unanswered Questions

Un-answered questions.

"Are you sure you don't want me to carry your bag?"

"Rina! I feel fine, stop worrying."

The past four days had been boring for everyone. Rina trained all day while Sky was stuck in a hospital bed. But now she was able to leave, and she had Rina rushing around after her trying to be of use. As Sky gathered the last of her stuff and placed it in her bag, Nurse Joy walked in.

"Hello, I see you're looking a lot better, Sky?"

"Yeah I feel great, thanks for everything." Sky smiled warmly at her, which Nurse Joy returned.

"Sky, Rina. I want you to be careful." Her smile had turned into a serious face, her eyes filled with concern.

"Don't worry; I'll make sure she doesn't get hurt again." Rina vowed she would never let anything bad happen again – or at least she would try.

The two left the hospital and Sky took in the beautiful sight of Floaroma Town. It was absolutely filled with pink flowers. A bit outside of Floaroma Town was a place called the Valley Windworks, which had a rare Pokemon living there. Sky had already discussed this with Rina, and wanted to catch it. They made their way there, and it didn't take five minutes to get there.

"So what Pokemon is it?" Rina asked while looking around for a Pokemon who Sky described as a resemblance to a balloon.

"It's called a Drifloon, and there is one right over there!" Sky pointed near the entrance of a building, and floating around was a group of purple balloon like things.

"Hey! They are quite cute! You should defiantly catch one now that I know their incredibly cute." Rina turned to face Sky, only to see she was already approaching them with a Pokeball in hand. Rina giggled as she watched most of the Drifloon float away, apart from one who stayed their spinning in circles happily. Sky threw the Pokeball she had in her hand and out came Vulpix.

"Vulpix, I want to catch this Drifloon, so help me out by using Will-o-wisp first." Vulpix nodded and shot small blue flames from its mouth which hit Drifloon head on. Drifloon was immediately burnt, and started taking damage.

"Great! Now use Flamethrower." Vulpix shot more flames, but this time they were red and they were more effective. Drifloon took damage, but then took even more because of the burn. That's when it decided to fight back. It span around a produced a gust of purple wind. It hit Vulpix in the face and pushed it back.

"That was Ominous Wind! Be careful Sky, that Drifloon is strong!" Rina warned her friend as Vulpix got back up and used another Flamethrower. Taking the damage from that and the burn one more time was too much for the Drifloon, it slowly became unconscious, so Sky saw her chance. She took another Pokeball in hand and threw it towards Drifloon. The Drifloon was sucked inside and the Pokeball began to shake. Everyone watched in anticipation as the ball continued to shake, until finally coming to a stop. Drifloon was successfully caught. Sky squealed and ran to the Pokeball, picking it up and finally putting it away.

"Yay! I caught Drifloon!" She did a victory pose – which was a peace sign.

"Well done Sky! You too Vulpix." Rina congratulated the two while Sparky ran towards Vulpix and patted her on the head.

Sky and Rina were suddenly distracted by loud noises coming from the building near them. Rina thought she even heard a small explosion, and was about to ask Sky if she heard it when several Pokemon ran out of the building in fright.

"I wonder why their all freaked out? We should go and look, it could be trouble." Rina suggested, which Sky agreed to. They all curiously entered the building quietly, Sparky and Vulpix in front - in case of any danger.

As they entered they could see it wasn't a big building, but it was full of boxes with various labels on them. No-one was in sight yet, as they were only standing in a small hallway – they wasn't yet in the main room. Rina told them to be quiet, as she could hear faint voices. They listened carefully to the conversation.

"Well, we have captured most of the Pokemon in this area, lets move on soon." The first voice belonged to a woman.

"This plan is going great. Are team admin has already taken care of that pesky girl, that poison should have killed her off by now." The second voice belonged to a man.

"Kill me?! Are they crazy? Oh, look!" Sky whispered as she pointed to a big metal cage which was filled with loads of different Pokemon. They all had depressed expressions on them, as if they were being treated badly.

"They don't look too happy. I think this is the part where we interfere and become super heroes." Rina whispered back.

"What do we do though? This is defiantly Team Elementals work. You know how dangerous they can be."

"I have a plan... listen carefully." Sky, Sparky and Vulpix all leaned in closer to hear what Rina's plan was.

* * * *

"All clear on what to do?" Rina asked once she had finished explaining. She got nods from everyone. Luckily while she was explaining everything Team Elemental were still in the next room arguing about something, unaware of the teenagers.

"Good. Sparky and Vulpix don't worry; we'll help you if any real danger comes to you."

With that Sparky and Vulpix bravely ran in to the room with Team Elemental and started making noise to catch their attention.

"Look Karumo! A Pichu and Vulpix! Now that's a rare sight to see, let's grab them too."

"You got it, Ebony. And just look at that Pichu's cheeks! Their green!"

As Sparky and Vulpix ran around distracting the two, Rina and Sky tip-toed in and headed for the cage. They stood there for a while trying to work out how to open it, until they heard a familiar cry. Sky was first to turn around as she saw Vulpix being cornered. By now the woman – known as Ebony - had spotted the two and had informed her friend. Sparky noticed Vulpix was in danger, and sent a Thundershock towards Karumo, who was blocking Vulpix's only way of escaping. Karumo fell to the ground, but got back up. Rina inspected the two adults carefully.

Ebony had long black hair, which reached her waist, and piercing icy blue eyes. She was quite tall and slim, and had a mean look on her face. She looked to be about twenty-one. She was in the usual Team Elemental uniform. By her side was a black Pokemon with yellow rings on it, it was an Umbreon – one of the Eevee evolutions. Beside her was the man called Karumo, he was the opposite of Ebony, short but he too was slim. He had black hair and slim eyes; he was obviously Japanese. He too was wearing the Team Elemental uniform. He was in his mid-twenties.

Vulpix and Sparky ran to their respective trainers sides, and got ready for battle. Karumo took out two Pokeballs, while Ebony took out one Pokeball.

"So, you survived the poison? You must be a pretty tough girl, but you and your friend will pay now for trying to disrupt our plan, go Absol and Roserade!" His two Pokemon materialized, and Rina scanned them on her Pokedex.

"Umbreon, your up. Quilava, come out and help!" Umbreon stepped forward and joined Roserade and Absol, and then Quilava came out of his Pokeball and joined them.

Rina took a Pokeball of her own in hand and threw it. "Eevee, go. Sparky you're up as well."

Sky followed suit and called out her Marill and Vulpix. With four Pokemon on each side the intense battle started. Sparky used her newly perfected Thunderbolt on Absol, and Eevee used her Quick Attack on Umbreon. Sky had ordered Vulpix to use Flamethrower on Roserade, and Marill used Water Gun on Quilava.

However, Ebony and Karumo's Pokemon were a proper team. Roserade had jumped in front of Absol and took the Thunderbolt, since it didn't affect it much. Absol used Aerial Ace to counter Eevee's Quick Attack. Quilava protected Roserade from the Flamethrower by countering with its own Flamethrower attack. Umbreon then used Shadow Ball on Marill's Water Gun.

Team Elementals Pokemon was too strong, and kept countering every attack thrown at them. Rina and Sky were beginning to panick, as they knew their Pokemon were at an incredibly high level.

"Hey Rina, I know them all too well. I'm pretty sure if we break that machine," she pointed to a large machine which was producing energy for something, "then they will back down."

The Pokemon in the cage overheard this, and knew they should help out, since the two girls were trying to protect them.

Meanwhile, Marill had been defeated by an Energy ball from Roserade, and Eevee was near to fainting. They were re-called to their Pokeballs, but Sparky and Vulpix had also caught on to what Sky was saying.

"Now Umbreon, attack the girls with a Shadow ball!" While they were distracted by the machine and the Pokemon in the cage, Umbreon was about to fire the attack.

"Oh no you don't! Luxray, Discharge!" A powerful electric attack knocked Umbreon back. Then hit the machine. Rina and Sky looked to where the Luxray had come from... Nicholas?!

"Don't just stand there! Use your Pichu's Thunderbolt on the machine." Nicholas ordered, while getting his Primeape to deal with Team Elemental.

"Uh right, Sparky use Thunderbolt!" Sparky gathered electricity in its cheeks, and fired the attack towards the machine.

"No! Quick Absol, grab the tracker before it gets destroyed." Karumo's Absol sprinted towards the machine and bravely took a small device from the machine in its mouth, and handed it to Karumo.

Meanwhile, Sky and Vulpix had set the trapped Pokemon free, and several Shinx, Pachirisu and Luxio used their electric attacks on the machine to help. Other Pokemon like Buizel, Bidoof and Shellos attacked Team Elemental. The machine blew up, throwing everyone back and making a hole in the ceiling. When Rina looked up, Team Elemental and their Pokemon had already escaped somehow.

'Just like back in Jubilife Town...' Rina thought while getting up and brushing her clothes off, followed by everyone else.

The wild Pokemon went off, so everyone else headed outside. Apparently no-one from the town had taken notice of the explosion, so Rina and Sky left it. Right now Rina had questions she wanted answered.

"Why did you help us." She asked Nicholas bluntly. Sky payed attention, as she wanted to know the answer too.

"Look, don't get flattered or anything, I still hate your guts. I helped because Pokemon were in danger. You're still my rival, so forget everything that just happened, okay?"

Rina sighed and nodded her head. "Fine by me. We'll battle when we next meet. I will show you a proper battle this time."

Nicholas rolled his eyes and wandered off, leaving Rina and Sky to stand their watching as he walked off. Sky recalled Vulpix to its Pokeball, while Sparky made itself comfortable on Rina's shoulder.

"Well, looks like we'll be encountering Team Elemental often. I don't understand how their Pokemon are so powerful though, our Pokemon barely left a scratch on them." Rina exclaimed, while wondering about it.

"Yeah, their power is unbelievable. I think they could be the main members; they probably get given stronger Pokemon. Next time we will win though. Oh and what was that strange device they were eager to save from the explosion?"

"Who knows? I have a feeling we will get our answers soon though. Come on, let's go to the Pokemon centre, I'm worn out. Tomorrow we can head to Eterna City for my next gym battle!" Rina got psyched up about thinking of her next gym battle, as her and Sky made there way back to town.

**A/N: I'm so stupid! I keep forgetting to add a note at the end, and I was meant to add these two characters last chapters. Ebony belongs to Lydiageorge and Karumo belongs to Autumnchronicles so don't sue me!**

**Okay so this is the longest chapter so far, and is quite an interesting one. If you're wondering why their Pokemon are so powerful, the answers will come up soon. Okay so, not much can happen in Floaroma town, so I'm not making them stay there for long. Ah yes, all next week I have exams which will decide what set I am in when I get to year11, so I will only be at school every day next week for around 2hours, meaning I will have more time on the laptop and to update.**

**R&R Please :)**

**Sarah x **


	11. Eevee's Decision

Eevee's Decision.

"Hi Rina. Remember me?" Rina and Sky were at the Pokemon Centre in Floaroma Town, and had been approached by a man with a white lab coat on. Rina stared at him briefly then smiled.

"Yeah, you were at Professor Rowan's lab when I started my journey."

"Correct, I have been sent by Prof. Rowan to find you. He wants me to show you this." He took out a blue book that had "Evolutions" written on the front in black letters. Rina and Sky watched curiously as he turned to a certain page. On the page was a picture of an Eevee, followed by all of its evolutions.

"Professor Rowan was wondering about your two Eevee. He is worried you will struggle with two of them, because they are fairly weak. He wants me to assist you with the evolutions." Rina looked carefully at the different evolutions. She hadn't really thought much about it recently, but it was true that her Eevee weren't as strong as the other Pokemon, and couldn't really win any battles.

"Well I suppose my male Eevee should evolve first, since he is stronger, and I haven't trained my female one much." Rina said this as she released the male Eevee, who smiled up at her. Rina picked up the little fox and showed it the book.

"Now Eevee, when you evolve you'll get so much stronger, and will be able to fight in battles properly. The thing is, I want you to decide what you want to evolve into." Eevee looked at the pictures carefully.

"If you chose Vaporeon, Flareon or Jolteon, I have the stones needed here. Of course we're not saying you should evolve him now because we say so. We can provide you with the information or the stones needed, so he could evolve whenever." The assistant explained, not wanting Rina to feel pressured.

"If you wanted an Espeon, you would have to battle during the day and with Umbreon at night. Leafeon and Glaceon need to level up in front of mysterious rocks that are located in Sinnoh." The assistant carried on, as everyone waited for Eevee to decide.

Eevee kept its eyes on one certain picture, and took a liking to it. It said its name and pointed with its paw to the picture.

"Ah, you want to be a Flareon huh?" Rina asked with a smile. She had always wanted a fire type, and Flareon was certainly cute. Eevee nodded as it confirmed it.

The assistant felt around in his pocket and pulled out a red stone with an orange fire mark on it. He handed it to Rina, who discovered it had a warm feel to it. The stone was surprisingly smooth and nice to touch.

"That's a fire stone, when Eevee touches it with its paw, it will evolve."

As Rina was about to ask Eevee when it wanted to evolve, Eevee nudged the fire stone out of her grasp with its nose, making it drop on the floor. Eevee then jumped out of Rina's arms and stepped towards the stone.

"Eevee, you want to evolve now don't you?" Rina didn't get a nod or anything, as Eevee then placed its paw on the stone. Eevee became engulfed in a bright light, and its body began to change. Rina, Sky, Sparky and the assistant watched in awe at the transformation. His tail grew bigger, as did his ears and most of his body. When the light faded, an orange and red Flareon stood before them. His bandana was still around his neck, and it fitted perfectly now. Flareon grinned as it admired its body.

"He should be able to use Flamethrower very soon. I will tell Prof. Rowan the good news. Good luck on the rest of your journey."

"Thank you for everything, and tell Prof. Rowan I said thank you. Bye." Rina and Sky waved at the assistant as he left the Pokemon Centre.

"Wow Rina, two evolutions. Staravia and Flareon will be a big help to you against the next gym." Sky smiled at Sparky who was now standing next to Flareon, admiring him.

"I know. I'm extra excited now! Come on, let's go! I want to win my next badge." Rina grinned. She recalled Flareon and clipped the Pokeball back on her belt. Sparky made her self comfortable on Rina's shoulder, and they left the Pokemon Centre, heading for their next destination: Eterna City.

* * * *

"A double battle huh? Sounds interesting. Alright, we're in."

After leaving Floaroma town, and travelling to Eterna City for a day, they were soon reaching their destination, but were stopped in their tracks as two identical twins asked for a double battle. They had short brown hair and were both wearing red shorts and a black tank top, with white trainers. They were around twelve but had baby faces, so they could be mistaken for a younger age. A double battle would be all four girls using one Pokemon each.

The twins introduced themselves as Ruby and Sapphire. Ruby was slightly shorter than Sapphire, and had pinker cheeks. Ruby threw a Great ball which her Pokemon came out of. It was a huge steel snake, with a big head and a big grin; also known as Steelix. Sapphire also pulled out a Great ball, and her Pokemon was a Starmie. It was shaped like a star and it was purpley-blue with a red gem in the middle. It had no eyes so Rina was kind of confused at how it could see.

"A steel type huh? Perfect to try out Flareon's fire moves. Flareon, you're up!" Rina tossed her red and white Pokeball and Flareon materialised. Flareon growled at Starmie, probably knowing it was a water type. Rina glanced over at Sky, who appeared to be struggling to choose her Pokemon.

"Sky, relax. It doesn't matter if we lose. Just have fun." Rina reassured her with a smile. It was easy to see the panic and worry on Sky's face. She didn't participate in battles that much, and didn't want Rina to see her as a weak person.

Sky nodded and returned the smile as she took out a Pokeball and tossed it. "Misdreavus go." Misdreavus floated around staring its opponents down. With all four Pokemon in place, the intense battle begun.

"Steelix, use crunch on Flareon!" Steelix roared as it made its way over to Flareon, baring its teeth.

"Flareon use Quick Attack to dodge, and then strike Starmie." Flareon moved to the side using Quick Attack, making Steelix crunch on thin air where Flareon was once standing. Flareon then darted towards Starmie striking it and making Starmie stagger back.

"Misdreavus use Psywave on Steelix." Sky decided to get involved in the battle, but she still was uneasy. She never really had battled properly recently. Misdreavus let off a beam from its eyes which hit Steelix on its face. Steelix also staggered back, but both Steelix and Starmie got right back up.

"Starmie use Hydro Pump on Flareon, make it hurt!" Starmie released a blast of water at Flareon who stood still, not sure what to do. As the water edged closer Misdreavus floated in front of Flareon as if it was going to protect him.

"Misdreavus use Thunderbolt and break down that water!" Misdreavus' Thunderbolt tore through the water, stopping the attack all together.

"Hey thanks Sky!" Rina gave a thumbs up to Sky, who grinned in return. While they were distracted Steelix managed to slam Misdreavus with an Iron Tail. Sky cried out for it to get back up, which it did.

"Flareon, I think now's the time to see how powerful your Flamethrower is. Apparently you can use it, so go! Use Flamethrower on Steelix." Flareon opened its mouth and shot flames at Steelix, which fortunately hit it straight in its face. Steelix was severely hurt, and took some time to get back up.

"Misdreavus use Thunderbolt on Starmie." Misdreavus used Thunderbolt which hit Starmie with a lot of effect. Starmie's red gem started glowing on and off showing it was getting weak.

"Steelix use Dig on Flareon." Steelix dug underground and burrowed towards where Flareon was. Flareon and Rina looked around desperately, trying to figure a way out. It was too late however, as Steelix came up above Flareon, throwing him in the air. Flareon landed on its stomach with a thud. Meanwhile Starmie had used Hydro Pump on Misdreavus, pushing it back with force.

"Get back up!"

"You can do it!"

Rina and Sky pleaded with their Pokemon to get up. Flareon shakily stood up and used Quick Attack on Starmie without Rina's command. Starmie fainted and was recalled back to its ball by Sapphire, who then wished her twin luck. Misdreavus saw the determination on Flareon's face and got back up too. Steelix was still standing but was looking less worn out compared to Flareon and Misdreavus.

"Misdreavus lets use Psywave." Misdreavus' Psywave hit Steelix on its snake-like body. Steelix closed its eyes and took the attack. Steelix wasn't backing down easily as Misdreavus kept up its attack. Noticing Sky needed help, Rina ordered Flareon to use Flamethrower. Flareon's Flamethrower hit Steelix on the same point of its body as the Psywave. Steelix roared in pain as it collapsed with a large thud. Flareon and Misdreavus grinned at their win as they were thanked for their hard work and determination.

Ruby sadly recalled her Steelix to its ball and she and Sapphire then approached Sky and Rina. By then Rina and Sky had also recalled their Pokemon and shook hands with the twins.

They parted ways, vowing to battle again if they ever saw each other. Rina, Sky and Sparky then carried on towards Eterna City happy with their victory. Sky was especially happy since she hadn't won a proper battle in a while.

**A/N: Woo! Updatee! Okay so, the Pokemon on Rina's team are based on my Platinum team. I think it's about time an Eevee evolved, don't you? I think my writing is getting better, what do you think?**

**So, sorry for the wait but I **_**promise **_**after the gym battle (next chapter) there will be a few VERY exciting chapters, so bare with me and my short chapters, please?**

**Review's are nice, criticism is also accepted :D**

**PP.**


	12. Power Of Grass Types

Power Of Grass Types.

Eterna City – a huge city with the usual buildings, along with various houses. Rina and Sky had reached the city a few hours ago, and were now heading for the gym. Rina was as psyched as ever. She had two Pokemon at a major advantage and in her eyes there was no way she could lose. Sparky sat on Rina's shoulder as usual, just as excited as Rina. As they were nearing the gym, Sky turned to Rina.

"Hey, for Sparky to evolve into Pikachu your friendship needs to be strong, right?"

"Yeah, why do you ask?" Rina asked curiously.

"Well, you and Sparky have known each other for a while now, and you're great friends. So why hasn't she evolved?"

It was true they were great friends, so why hasn't she evolved yet?

"I guess maybe she wants to evolve when she is stronger. Some Pokemon choose to not evolve until they are at a high level."

Sky nodded in understanding and the rest of the walk stayed at a comfortable silence. Once getting to the gym Rina grinned and rushed inside, followed by Sky. The gym was filled with trees and bushes and a battlefield was set amongst all of the plants. A woman stood on one side. She had orangey-brown hair and wore a black long sleeved top with an orange shawl over it. She also had brown three-quarter length combat trousers on and green boots.

"My name is Rina and I'm here to challenge the gym leader!" Rina called out so she could catch the woman's attention, as she was currently having a conversation with the judge. The woman turned round and smiled.

"Hello Rina. My name is Gardenia and I am the gym leader here. I assume _everyone _knows the rules by now. Shall we get started?" Gardenia took her position as did the judge and Rina. Sky sat on a bench along with Sparky. The only difference to the audience this time was there no one else watching.

"The three-on-three gym battle between Gardenia and Rina shall now begin." The judge announced the start of the battle. Gardenia pulled out a Pokeball and tossed it.

"Cherrim lets go." A small pink flower-like Pokemon appeared on the battlefield.

"Eevee I think I'll start with you. Go!" Rina tossed her Pokeball and called upon Eevee. The two Pokemon stared each other down as Rina made the first move.

"Eevee use Quick attack." Eevee shot forward and head butted Cherrim in the face. Cherrim took damage but shook it off and waited for a command.

"Leech seed." Cherrim shot a small seed which hit Eevee's head. Vines surrounded Eevee's whole body and Eevee's energy started to get sucked away and over to Cherrim. Rina winced and watched as Eevee wriggled around.

"While Eevee is tangled up use Growth." Cherrim shut it eyes and started to focus on raising its special attack. Eevee's energy was still getting sucked away slowly.

"Eevee you can't shake those vines off so concentrate on attacking. Use Tackle!" Eevee once again hit Cherrim on the head, making it lose its focus and fall back.

"Quick Cherrim, attack with Magical Leaf." Cherrim shook its body and shot pink leaves at Eevee. Eevee cried out in pain as it took the damage from Magical Leaf, as well as taking damage from the Leech Seed. The Leech See took the last of Eevee's health and so Eevee fainted.

"Eevee can't battle so this round goes to Cherrim." The judge declared Eevee out of the battle.

Rina called Eevee back to its Pokeball and thanked it. Gardenia shouted praise at Cherrim who jumped around in happiness. Rina took another Pokeball in hand and tossed it.

"Staravia you're next." Staravia came out of the Pokeball and fluttered around. Gardenia was first to make a move this time.

"Let's start off with Leech Seed." Cherrim sprouted the same seed as before and shot it towards Staravia. At Rina's command Staravia flew out of the way of the seed and hit Cherrim with a Wing Attack. The attack was super effective so Cherrim fainted, having already taken some damage from the battle with Eevee. Gardenia called out her next Pokemon; Turtwig. It was a small green turtle with a leaf sticking out of its head.

"Staravia use Gust." Staravia flapped its wings and formed a small hurricane which hit Turtwig and pushed it back. Turtwig slowly stood up and shook off the attack.

"Use Razor Leaf." The small leaf on Turtwig's head sent out two sharp leaves, which Staravia used Gust on to make them get sent back to hit Turtwig. Before Staravia could react Turtwig used its blinding speed to hit Staravia with a Tackle attack. Staravia fluttered back but soon regained its strength.

"Let's try Aerial Ace!" Staravia flew at Turtwig so quickly that Turtwig didn't have time to defend itself. As Staravia struck Turtwig in its head, Turtwig was knocked of its feet and landed a few feet back.

"Turtwig don't give up. Use Energy Ball." Turtwig stood up and opened its mouth, forming a green ball which glittered. It shot the ball towards Staravia hitting her in her right wing. Despite the advantage the attack seemed to still do quite a bit of damage.

"That Turtwig is tough. Rina had better watch out." Sky said to no-one in particular.

"This is proving to be quite tough. I had better finish this off quickly. Use Quick Attack." Staravia tried to forget about the pain in her right wing as she struck Turtwig once again on the head. Turtwig retaliated with a Tackle Attack, so at this point both Pokemon were equally exhausted.

"Quick Attack!"

"Tackle!"

Both Pokemon collided using all their strength to be victorious. However, both Staravia and Turtwig fainted and made this round a draw. Rina recalled Staravia and Gardenia recalled Turtwig.

"Rina, your Pokemon really are tough. But my final Pokemon is no pushover. Let's show them Roserade." Gardenia's final Pokemon resembled a bouquet as its hands were red and blue flowers.

Rina unclipped her final Pokeball and enlarged it. She threw it and called out Flareon. Gardenia didn't look surprised to see a fire type Pokemon, but she slightly winced as she knew she was at another disadvantage.

"This round will determine the winner, so let's see what your Flareon can do."

"Oh we'll show you lots of power. Start with Flamethrower!" Flareon opened its mouth and spat flames at Roserade. The flames hit Roserade in the middle section of its body and Roserade cried out in pain.

"Magical Leaf."

Roserade jumped in the air and started spinning around. Sharp pink leaves shot towards Flareon, hitting him on the head and making him fall to the ground.

"Now use Mega Drain." With Flareon feeling slightly dazed and on the floor, he was open to attacks. Roserade bought her flower type hands forward and green orbs suddenly appeared from Flareon and were sucked into Roserade, making her gain energy back. Flareon wasn't affected that much, so he started to stand up.

'_Flareon shouldn't be struggling to take a grass type attack. Maybe I evolved him too soon?' _Rina asked herself.

"Flareon, you're okay! Use Flamethrower." Rina encouraged. Flareon shot flames at Roserade which was too fast for Roserade to dodge. Roserade staggered back and squeezed her eyes shut.

'_Keep attacking.'_ Rina repeated this over and over in her head.

"Now use Quick Attack to get closer, but don't attack." Flareon disappeared for a moment and then reappeared in front of Roserade, but didn't hit her.

Gardenia was to slow to react and so Rina proceeded with her plan. Rina told Flareon to use Flamethrower, so Flareon obliged. Flames hit Roserade straight on, and because it was close range it dealt more damage. Roserade landed in front of Gardenia unconscious.

The judge looked at Roserade before holding a flag pointing towards Rina.

"Roserade is out! The winner of the battle is Rina!"

Gardenia blinked a few times to register what had just happened and then smiled as she recalled Roserade. She walked to Rina and held out her hand. In her hand was a badge.

"You and your Pokemon will definitely go far. Take this badge to show your victory here at the Eterna Gym."

"Thanks so much!" Rina took the badge and showed it off to Sky, Sparky and Flareon. She pocketed the badge and put Flareon back in his Pokeball.

**__________________________________________________________________________________A/N: Okay again sorry for the long wait! It's just, when I do gym battles I find them so boring to write, so I take forever to finish them! Boring chapter, but I can promise the next few chapters are full of excitement! Hopefully I will update more often, and starting from Friday I'm on my summer holidays! So that means more writing time!! Yaay! **

**I am honestly not happy with this chapter... so I am sorry. But I will make it up to all the people who are actually bearing with my bad writing and my short chapters. Many thanks to Autumnchronicles for reviewing this story! I'm so grateful to you and so I will reward you with cookies ;)**

**Read and Review please?**

**Sarah x**


	13. Trouble At Sea

Trouble At Sea.

"Well we have Staravia, or we could see if Ralts can do it."

"I think Staravia would be our best bet, but can she hold us?"

"That's a good point..."

Rina and Sky were still in Eterna City, but they wanted to visit Canalave City which was quite far away. It would take forever to walk there so they were discussing riding there on Staravia, or getting Ralts to somehow teleport them. Rina, Sky and Sparky were currently sitting on a bench enjoying the ice cream they had bought. Sky had decided to be greedy by ordering three scoops of ice cream; chocolate, strawberry and vanilla. Sparky licked the ice cream with such enjoyment that she had a big smile on her face. Rina had the map laid out on her lap.

"I don't think Staravia could even hold us for an hour let alone a few days." Rina said as she thought of Staravia struggling to hold two teenage girls and a Pichu. Sky seemed to go off in a daydream as she tried to figure out this situation. Rina unclipped a Pokeball and released Ralts.

"Hey Ralts, do you think you would be able to teleport us here?" She pointed to the spot on the map that resembled Canalave City.

'_**Yes I think I can. It shouldn't be that hard...' **_Ralts answered through telepathy. Rina grinned as she explained to Sky what Ralts had said.

"Great! So when should we leave?"

"After we finish these." Rina began licking at her ice cream, which Sky also did. Sparky had offered to share her ice cream with Ralts, so the two of them sat finishing it. After a few minutes everyone was done eating so they stood up and got prepared.

"Will this hurt?" Sky asked worriedly. She had an image in her head of her exploding or ending up being teleported off a cliff. Rina gave a worried look at Ralts.

"Um, we should be fine if Ralts does this properly."

'_**Get ready...' **_ Ralts' eyes flashed blue as he focused on himself, Rina, Sky and Sparky. _**'Teleport!'**_

* * * *

"Do you think we made- YIKES!" Sky turned a deep shade of red as she saw something she never thought she would witness. She began to blink and point at the sight before her. They had teleported into a house, and were currently in the bedroom. The Pokemon and Rina followed Sky's eyes and Rina also turned red.

On the floor was a male and female Nidoran. That's not unusual most of the time, but what they were doing was not normal. The male was on top of the female and they were rolling around and making funny noises.

"Oh! Um, I a-am so s-sorry." Rina stammered. The Nidoran hadn't noticed they had an audience and carried on. Rina and Sky found it hard to look away for some reason while Sparky just stared.

'_**Rina? Is that was humans do when they want a family? Has anyone got a camera?' **_Ralts said to Rina and Sky through telepathy. He was still young and immature so this was a fascinating sight for him. Rina picked up Ralts and rushed down the stairs followed by Sky and Sparky. She buckled down a few steps and noticed the house was empty apart from the two Pokemon. They quickly opened the door and rushed out. A few people stared at them but said nothing.

"Well, that was an awkward way to arrive here." Rina broke the silence and pushed the images to the back of her head. She put Ralts down and sighed. "Thanks for that." The sentence was full of sarcasm but Ralts was oblivious to it. Sky shook her head and looked around.

A man and woman walked past holding hands, and the man had a camera around his neck. Ralts spoke through telepathy to them, which Rina would also hear.

'_**Can I borrow that camera? I want to take pictures of the Pokemon in that house making babies.'**_

The man and woman gasped and glared at Rina. They tutted at her and hurried away. Sky gave a questioning look as Rina quickly put Ralts in his Pokeball.

"You don't want to know..."

Rina and Sky walked away from the house and took in the sights. Canalave city was fairly small, with only a few houses and shops and the gym. A large ship was currently situated in the river that ran through the town, and led off to the sea.

They walked over the bridge and approached the ship. Many people were boarding it and none of them seemed to have a ticket. Rina noticed a man guiding everyone onto the boat.

"Excuse me, can you please tell me where this ship is going to?" The man looked at her and smiled.

"We're going to Full Moon Island! Apparently rare Pokemon live there, and so we're taking people there. As you can see you don't need a ticket since this is a special occasion."

After a discussion Rina and Sky found themselves sitting on board the luxury ship. They were on deck chairs, enjoying the sun. Rina drank lemonade while Sky simply relaxed. They were on a peaceful part of the ship but the peacefulness soon disappeared.

"Oh my gosh! It's Rina and Sky!" They looked up to see none other than Tizzy standing by them with a grin on her face. Sky groaned and wished she was somewhere else.

"Tizzy, nice to see you." Rina on the other hand didn't mind Tizzy, and found her quite an interesting person.

"The silly people wouldn't let Tubby stay out of his Pokeball because according to them he is too fat. How rude!" Tizzy lay down on a deckchair next to Rina and began eating her cookies. An hour of Tizzy talking about nonsense that seemed to only interest her slowly passed by. One minute she was talking about Tubby, the next she was talking about vegetables. It would take at least another hour to get to the island.

The sun had gone and was replaced by dark clouds and a strong wind. A storm had come out of nowhere and the waves became vicious. An announcement was made for everyone to get inside the ship, so a stampede started. Rina, Sky, Sparky and Tizzy rushed inside, not wanting to get caught in the storm. A heavy downpour started just as everyone managed to get inside. Even with the ship's large size, the waves pushed the ship around quite a bit.

People began to frantically scream and paid no attention to the sailors telling them to calm down. Rina and Sky stayed calm and gripped onto a table. Tizzy however, had started running in circles waving her arms around while screaming 'POTATOES!' Rina started to panic as she told Sky she had left her bag and poke belt outside by the deckchairs.

"You can't go out there! It's too dangerous." Sky attempted to keep Rina from going outside but Rina wasn't listening.

"My Pokemon are out there! I'm not going to leave them, even if they are in their Pokeballs." She ran to the door and barged past a waiter who tried to stop her. Sky, being a good friend followed Rina. She wasn't going to let Rina go out there alone. Rina and Sky went outside together after pushing people out of the way, telling them to let them go. Several teenagers gasped and began talking amongst themselves while being thrown around.

"They're crazy."

"What are they thinking?!"

"They're so brave."

"Shouldn't someone stop them?"

"No, I heard one of them shout her Pokeballs were out there."

Tizzy noticed them go outside and decided to follow telling people she was going to be a superhero and save them. People started to panic more as thunder could be heard, and the ship began to rock even more. Rina and Sky struggled to stand up and walk as they were getting pushed back by the wind and the rain hit them like hailstones. They soon discovered Tizzy had come too as they heard her squeal. Rina had her eyes squeezed shut, so she slowly opened them and shielded her eyes with her right hand.

"Sky, let's find them quickly. Follow me. You too Tizzy!" Rina screamed as loud as she could and luckily Sky and Tizzy just about heard. Rina was holding Sparky tightly with her free hand and held her close. They started walking towards the where the deckchairs were supposed to be, but came to the conclusion that they had been swept away. Sky was the one to notice Rina's Poke belt and bag near the edge of the ship. Seeing they were going to fall in the water soon she grabbed them quickly and handed them to Rina. Tizzy screamed as more thunder came and lit up the sky. The waves were crashing against the side of the ship.

Rina and Sky heard a splash and were sprayed with water. They didn't see what had happened but realized Tizzy was no longer standing with them.

"She must have gone overboard somehow!" Sky yelled. Rina dropped to the floor as the ship rocked again. Passengers were screaming for them to get back inside but Rina and Sky couldn't hear, because the storm was getting worse. Sky held onto the bars on the side of the ship, and Rina watched as Sky was thrown overboard. Tears ran down Rina's face as she frantically screamed out Sky's name. One last violent rock made Rina fall over the side of the ship. She hit the water and tasted the saltiness. She held onto Sparky and soon passed out.

"Call for help! Those three girls just went overboard!" Passengers began scrambling for their phones in order to try and help Rina, Sky and Tizzy.

* * * *

Sand. Rina was half awake as she felt sand in between her fingers, and the sun beating down on her. Realization hit Rina as everything she could remember played back in her head. She opened her eyes and sat up. She was on a beach, but where exactly was she? She felt her poke belt safely around her waist and her bag was near her. Sparky, Sky and Tizzy! Where were they? Were they alive?

"You're awake! I was so worried." She recognised the voice as Sky's, and looked around to see Sky, Sparky and Tizzy sitting next to her.

"Where are we?" Rina stood up and looked out to the sea. Everyone else stood up as well and Sky explained that they had ended up on Full Moon Island. Sparky placed herself back on Rina's shoulder as everyone gathered their stuff. Tizzy called out Tubby and they shared a bear hug.

"Let's go and find that rare Pokemon!" Sky interrupted the bear hug after it had lasted for about four minutes. Rina and Tizzy followed after Sky who had began walking up a path. Tubby was close behind and with every step he took the ground shook.

"Would you put him back in his Pokeball please? I feel like I am in an earthquake!" Sky wasn't usually aggressive, but she was still annoyed that Tizzy had managed to defeat her in a Pokemon battle.

"No can do. Tubby is afraid of the dark, and he gets awfully lonely." Tizzy smiled at Sky and carried on walking. She didn't seem to mind that the ground shook.

"Calm down Sky. I know you don't like her but the quicker we find this legendary Pokemon, the quicker we can get out of here." Rina patted Sky on the back and carried on walking.

The island wasn't that big, it just consisted of the path they had been following for the past ten minutes, and the occasional tree. Tizzy was still ahead of them, and was now marching alongside Tubby, while singing "we're off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of oz." She wasn't that bad of a singer, which was quite a surprise. Rina was wondering how long they had been passed out on the beach for, because they were all dry.

They finally came to a dead end once they reached a cliff. In front of them was a stone statue of some sort of shape. Sky seemed to know quite a bit of information about this island as she explained it was a statue of a lunar wing.

"So, where is the legendary Pokemon that is said to live here?" Rina asked, to which Sky shrugged.

They came to the conclusion that unfortunately the legendary Pokemon wasn't going to show up, and decided to head back to the beach. However, they stopped as they heard a helicopter go past. Rina and Sky looked up and saw a black helicopter approaching the island, and they guessed it was planning to land on the beach.

"No... please no." Sky quietly said to herself as she noticed the letter 'E' on the helicopter. Rina soon noticed it and gulped.

"Team Elemental..." Rina placed her hand on Sky's shoulder and told Tizzy about them.

"They must be here looking for the Pokemon. Rina, we can't let them find it if it is here."

Rina nodded in understanding and formed a plan in her head. She was worried for Sky's safety and partly for Tizzy since she didn't handle situations like this well.

"First of all, Tizzy you are going to have to put Tubby in his Pokeball. He will attract to much attention. Secondly, we're going to have to sneak up on them. After that I don't know what we'll do."

After another hug from Tubby, Tizzy called him back to his Pokeball and put it away. Sky didn't say much on the way back to the beach and only spoke when Rina asked her a question. It didn't take long for them to stop behind some bushes and watch as Team Elemental gathered around and began talking about a plan of some sort. So far they hadn't noticed the three girls watching them, that was until Tizzy started giggling and caught their attention.

"You might as well come out now. We knew you were here all this time. So Sky, once again you and your friends are going too caught up in trouble." The man who had attacked them back in Jubilife City seemed to be the leader, as he was the one who spoke the most. Rina, Sky and Tizzy stepped out of the bushes and glared at him. Sky then turned to Tizzy and elbowed her.

"Why did you laugh for? This is no laughing matter!"

"Sorry, I couldn't help it. I get so excited and besides, they dress funny." She carried on giggling and pointing.

"You and your friends are interrupting us. We are expecting a certain Pokemon to appear any time soon. Until then, we'll take of you." The leader pulled out three Pokeballs and tossed them. A Golem, Magmortar and Blastiose appeared.

"We'll see about that. Sparky go." Sparky jumped forward, her cheeks sparking.

"Drifloon, lets see what you can do." Sky seemed to regain her courage as she release Drifloon.

"Tubby, let's show them. Remember what ever happens, you're still number one." Tizzy then called out her Snorlax, and all six Pokemon stared each other down. As a battle was about to begin, a pink light formed next to Rina, Sky and Tizzy. A Pokemon appeared and stared at Team Elemental, probably sensing they were no good. The leader smirked and seemed really happy.

"It's here. Cresselia has arrived."

**A/N: Okay, so the excitement begins, I hope. I decided to split this into two chapters, as it would have been way to long ;D I enjoyed writing this chapter so I hope you enjoyed reading it!**

**I don't have much to say; apart from I am officially on summer holidays! So that means more chapters! More people have been adding this to alert so I'm happy :D**

**Reviews are nice =)**

**PP.**

**x **


	14. The Truth About Them

The Truth About Them.

Cresselia was so pretty and graceful. It floated delicately, with the exception of the hateful look on its face. It seemed as if time had stopped while everyone admired the Pokemon. The silence was broken by the leader.

"How nice of you to join us. Now we have a total of four Pokemon to take." He signalled to the dopier people on his team what Pokemon he was talking about; Cresselia, Sparky, Drifloon and Tubby.

"Terry, you will never succeed in your plans. You really think you can take these Pokemon? You're dealing with a legendary Pokemon." Sky had finally got all her courage back and stepped forward.

'So his name is Terry.' Rina thought as she watched Sky confront Terry.

"We'll have Cresselia simply because she is rare. That Pichu has oddly coloured cheeks so she would be worth a lot, Drifloon is cute and master would love it. That Snorlax looks tough, so that's decided. We'll take them all!"

Cresselia moved in front of Sky and looked at her in a let-me-handle-this way. Sky nodded and stepped back and watched as Cresselia looked at Terry.

"Enough of this. We'll just be taking the Pokemon and leaving, don't get in our way." Terry ordered his team mates to gather the Pokemon while he dealt with Cresselia. Golem, Magmortar and Blastiose surrounded Rina, Sky and Tizzy and their Pokemon. Rina and Sky had no intention of standing around helplessly.

"Sparky, Thunderbolt Blastiose." Sparky stored electricity in its cheeks and fired at Blastiose. The Blastiose shook it off and itched its belly where the electric hit.

"No way. There Pokemon are just like Karumo's and Ebony's." Rina looked over at Terry who was smirking at her.

"That is because they are our leaders. These Pokemon have been given to us by them. Powerful, aren't we?"

The information rushed through Rina's head and it all became a blur. If they were all one team how would they ever beat them? Their Pokemon were powerful, but it wasn't normal. They were _too _powerful. But how? Sky didn't seem too surprised since she had dealt with Team Elemental for three years now. That's when it hit Rina. She noticed something she had never noticed before. All of their Pokemon had some sort of black device around either their leg or arm. She could be wrong, but she thought that had something to do with the power.

"What's that thing around those Pokemon?" Sky and Tizzy looked at Rina as she questioned Terry, then they both noticed the device.

"Oh that?" He pointed to it. "Just a little experiment we have been working on. I'm getting bored; let's just take the Pokemon now." He turned to Cresselia and held out a remote, pressing a green button. A net was sent towards Cresselia, which she gracefully dodged and shot an Aurora Beam at Terry. He dropped the remote and called back his Pokemon. He then picked up the remote and ran to the helicopter.

"S-sir? We're retreating already?!"

"Yes! I have a much better plan; we'll have the most powerful Pokemon ever. We cannot do this while those idiots are around." His team members got into the helicopter and flew off. They watched as the helicopter got smaller and smaller.

"That was weird. Why would they do that?" Tizzy asked no-one in particular.

"They're planning something. Something big." Sky replied.

Cresselia nodded at them and glowed a pink light. Rina and Sky then found themselves back in Canalave City. Cresselia and Tizzy was no where to be seen.

"I guess that was Cresselia's way of saying thanks. I have no clue where Tizzy ended up though."

"What should we do now? I don't plan on going to this gym yet because I want to get more badges first." Rina asked.

"Well, I need to get some more supplies from the shop."

"Okay, I'm going to the Pokemon Centre to call Professor Rowan. Meet me there once you're done."

Rina headed off to the Pokemon Centre while Sky went to the shop. Once entering the Pokemon Centre, Rina went straight to the phones. There were only three phones and all three were already occupied. Rina sighed as she stood waiting. Five minutes passed and she was still waiting, now impatiently tapping her foot. The phone closest to her was being used by a little kid talking to his mum. He was telling his mum all about his starter Pokemon and how cool it was. His mum clearly looked fed up and Rina guessed he had been talking for a while now. A few minutes later Rina was about to leave but stopped when she heard the boy say 'bye'.

She sighed in relief and watched as he ended the call. She moved closer and was getting ready to claim the phone before anyone else jumped in front of her. However, the boy didn't get up. He began to tie his shoe laces on his trainers, but kept untying them and then retying them, claiming they were either too tight or too lose. After his third attempt Rina had a sudden outburst.

"Oi! I have been waiting here for nearly ten minutes, go and tie your stupid laces else where!" The boy squealed and jumped up, running to the chairs on the other side of the Pokemon Centre. People started to stare at her and give her mean looks because she had shouted at a little kid. Sparky gave her a comforting look to calm her down. Rina sighed and sat down and dialled Professor Rowan's number. After a moment of ringing one of his assistants picked up.

"Hello? Oh, Rina! Can I help you?"

"Yeah, I wanted to talk to Professor Rowan."

"Oh he went out to Snowpoint City a while ago to do some research. I can give you the number of the Pokemon Centre if you want." He suggested. Rina thought it over for a moment then replied.

"That would be great, thanks."

The assistant gave her the number and said goodbye then hung up. Rina looked at the piece of paper with the number on it and dialled it. Nurse Joy was the one to answer.

"Hi Nurse Joy. I was wondering if Professor Rowan is there." Rina asked nervously. Nurse Joy didn't know who she was so it was awkward talking to her.

"Yes he is here. May I ask who is speaking?" Nurse Joy smiled at her, noticing she was nervous.

"My name is Rina. Professor Rowan knows me, we are good friends."

Nurse Joy nodded and said she would go and get him. A few minutes later Professor Rowan appeared on the screen. He was wearing his usual lab coat but also had a blue scarf around his neck.

"Hello Professor. What are you doing in Snowpoint City? That's miles away from Sandgem Town."

"I'm doing research on the Ice Rock. You know the rock that evolves Eevee into Glaceon? Was there a reason why you called me?"

"Well Sky and I were in a life-or-death situation! We were on a ship and a storm came, making us go overboard. We ended up on Full Moon Island along with our friend Tizzy. Then Team Elemental came, claiming they were going to capture Cresselia; who had turned up. We figured out why their Pokemon are so powerful. You see they have this device thing; I'm not too sure how it works exactly. They didn't get Cresselia of course, but they are planning something."

"I'll keep an eye out for them; make sure you don't get into any more life-or-death situations! Your mother wouldn't be too pleased. So, I heard you evolved Eevee into a Flareon."

Rina smiled and pulled out a Pokeball, releasing Flareon. He sat on the floor next to Rina's chair, and Rowan inspected him.

"That's right! Thanks so much for the stone. He is just brilliant in battle and it's because of him I won at the Eterna Gym." Rina stroked Flareon's back and he smiled in delight.

"Well he certainly looks healthy and strong! I'm truly sorry but I must be going soon, people are waiting to use the phone."

"Wait! I need to ask you a favour..."

* * * *

Sky had entered the Pokemon Centre just as Rina ended the call with Professor Rowan, which was a good half an hour later. Sky walked up to Rina and greeted her. Sky had a big smile on her face and looked pleased.

"What are you so happy about?" Rina asked while staring at her.

"I just bought the cutest collar for Vulpix, look." She gestured behind her and Rina looked to see Vulpix sitting down wearing a silver collar around her neck. Vulpix didn't seem to mind it and enjoyed the attention she was getting from other people.

"So what did you talk to Rowan about?"

"Hmm not much really. Hey, want to go and train?" Rina asked out of the blue. Sky looked at her curiously and agreed. Sky also noticed Rina seemed quite happy. They found a clearing just outside of the town and got into position.

"I think I will use Drifloon, since I still don't know what she is capable of." Sky called out her Drifloon and she got into position. Rina reached for a Pokeball and tossed it, without saying a word.

To Sky's surprise a Pokemon she had never seen before appeared; a Glaceon. Glaceon looked at Drifloon and smiled as it sensed a battle coming on.

"R-Rina! When did-"

"Professor was at Snowpoint City doing research on the Ice Rock. I transported Eevee over there and he went off and evolved Eevee then sent her back just before you came," Rina answered before she finished her question. "I quite liked the look of Glaceon so I thought I might as well have Eevee evolve into one."

"Glaceon use Bite!" Glaceon ran at Drifloon, baring its teeth. It bit Drifloon on the head and sent her flying back.

"Now Icy Wind!" Glaceon breathed out a chilling wind which hit Drifloon head on. Drifloon obviously wasn't powerful, because she fainted on the spot.

"W-what just happened...? I didn't even get a chance to attack." Sky stammered. She was very upset and felt useless. Rina knew she had gone too hard on her and felt terrible. She walked over to Drifloon and picked her up then handed her to Sky.

"I'm sorry. I got caught up in the moment. I think I have some revives in my bag." Rina took her bag off and rummaged through it until she picked out a bottle of revive. She sprayed it on Drifloon and watched as she woke up. Sky then put her in her Pokeball so she could rest, and assured Sky it was alright. They admired Glaceon some more and then went back to the Pokemon Centre to get some sleep.

Rina was fast asleep and Sparky was cuddled up to her. Sky however, was wide awake and looking out of the window. She was deeply worried for her friend. Even though she was so far away, anything could happen to her. She was worried for Mew.

**A/N: Wee, fast update! I'm really not happy with this chapter, it seems rushed to me. I don't plan on making any more chapters this boring, so I'm sorry!**

**Eevee evolved into Glaceon! Yay! I'm going to warn you all now, since Rina's team is based on my team in Pokemon Platinum, she will have one legendary. Although I won't have Rina use it much. Sky will also have one legendary but it will be used often. If you haven't guessed who Sky catches, keep reading and find out :D**

**Updates will continue to be fast, which is good :)**

**PP.**


	15. Karumo and Ebony's Past

Karumo and Ebony's Past.

_A small boy around the age of twelve dressed in black shorts and a white t-shirt ran around his house happily, his Squirtle chasing him in a playful way. The boy was Japanese and had short black hair. He ran into the kitchen and glanced behind him to see Squirtle catching up to him. While he was looking back he bumped into the table and fell on his bum. His head was sore and he burst into tears. Squirtle ran up to his owner and looked at him._

"_Karumo! Are you okay, sweetie? Stop crying okay? We don't want daddy to see you crying do we?" His mum placed Karumo on his feet and wiped his tears with her pink apron. _

_His mum was beautiful. She was also Japanese, and had straight long black hair. Her eyes were a dark brown and she had perfect skin. She looked so fragile and dainty. However, her life was not perfect. Karumo nodded and picked up Squirtle. Karumo and his mum froze when they heard a car pull up outside the house. _

"_Go upstairs." Karumo's mother ordered with a stern voice, but Karumo was used to this. He knew his mum cared about him dearly and would do anything for him. He bolted upstairs just in time as the door opened and his dad came in. Karumo sat at the top of the stairs with Squirtle on his lap. His dad hadn't acknowledged him; instead he headed for the kitchen._

_His dad was Japanese - like most of the family - and was dressed in a fancy black suit and had the same brown eyes as Karumo's mum. He was clutching a suitcase which he threw on the sofa as he went through to the kitchen. Karumo's mum busied herself, rushing around to place the plates and cutlery on the table, while also keeping an eye on the food she was cooking._

"_Mizuki!" He bellowed, even though he was standing in the same room as her. "What have I told you about having my dinner ready for when I get home?"_

"_I-I'm so sorry Ryuu. It will never happen again." Mizuki quickly apologized and carried on cooking. She tried her best not to make eye contact, she didn't want to see the anger and hate in Ryuu's eyes. There was a time when Mizuki and Ryuu were happy together. They were childhood sweethearts, spending all their time together and going on romantic dates. They got married at a young age and settled down. Everything took a turn for the worse once Mizuki fell pregnant. Ryuu had never been fond of kids, and was drunk the night he forgot to use protection. Once Karumo was born Ryuu became angry in general. He took his anger out on Karumo and Mizuki could only watch in horror._

"_You have even failed to do the cleaning! Look at the state of this kitchen. I put a roof over your head and this is how you repay me? Where is Karumo?" Ryuu began to call out for Karumo, but Karumo wouldn't move from the spot on the stairs. His mum had told him to never approach his dad when he was in a bad mood._

"_No please. Don't hurt him. How about we sit down, eat, then after you can put your feet up." Mizuki tried to persuade Ryuu to calm down and have a nice evening, but he wasn't prepared to co-operate._

"_Karumo, don't make me hunt you down!" Ryuu moved towards the door of the kitchen to head upstairs but Mizuki stood in his way._

"_Please, don't hurt him. It's not fair on him; he hasn't done anything to you." _

_Karumo couldn't see what was happening, but he could hear clearly. _

"_He has done something to me. He was born!" Those words stung Karumo's ears painfully. He had heard those words so many times in his life, but he could never get used to it. The next few moments were full of Mizuki screaming for Ryuu to stop, and the crying meant one thing. For the very first time, Ryuu was taking his anger out on his wife. Karumo could hear his dad shouting hateful words at his poor mum. One last ear piercing scream filled the house, and then silence filled the house. After a moment of sitting of the stairs, Karumo got up and crept down the stairs, clutching Squirtle. He put his head around the corner and immediately regretted it. Horror filled his eyes as he looked at the sight of his mum, bleeding and bruised lying lifelessly on the floor. A knife was sticking out of Mizuki's chest and she was in a pool of blood. Karumo then averted his eyes to his dad, who stood near Mizuki's body. He was covered in blood; Mizuki's blood. His face was expressionless. Tears ran down Karumo's cheeks and images of his dad stabbing his loving mum flashed in his mind._

"_You're next."_

_Karumo gasped and sprinted for the door. He ran out of the house and didn't stop. His dad was going to kill him next. Ryuu didn't follow him because he knew if he left the house looking how he did people would get suspicious. Karumo carried on running and his Squirtle stayed silent. Karumo hated his dad and could never forgive him. He had no other relatives nearby, so he decided to join a group - a group where he could revenge on his dad. He would become powerful, and wait for the day to come around when he would get revenge, and he would cherish that moment forever._

_* * * *_

_A thirteen year old girl with icy blue eyes and long black hair crept down the stairs of her small house. She was dressed in a purple t-shirt and black combat trousers. On her feet were black trainers so she could easily run about. She went into the kitchen and spotted the black bag on the floor. She went over to it and opened it, taking out a purse and retrieving about £60 from it. She returned the purse back and went back upstairs and into her bedroom. It was 7:48am and she had just proceeded with her daily morning routine. Her parents knew she stole from them, but they were too afraid of their own daughter to do something about it. They just never learned that they shouldn't leave valuable stuff lying around. She counted out the money she had stolen in the past few days. A total of £193 and 20pence. She had done a good job once again. She stroked the back of her loyal Umbreon._

"_Today is the day we aim for the big stuff. There is no way we will fail." She snickered and then pocketed the money as she heard her parents emerge from their bedroom._

"_Good morning Ebony. Do you want pancakes for breakfast?" Her mum asked with a smile on her face. Her mum found it hard to have a conversation with her daughter, as did her dad._

"_Don't act like I like you. I don't want your stinking pancakes. Just get out of my face. I'm going out." Ebony pushed past her mum but her dad stopped her._

"_Ebony please. Talk to us. Why do you hate us so much? We raised you up to be a nice caring girl." Her dad; Steve, tried his best every day to make Ebony accept them._

"_I. Hate. You. Both. How can I make it any clearer? You are the worst parents. I hate everyone but my Pokemon, get used to it." She shoved her dad out of the way and her mum; Sally began to cry. She couldn't deal with having a daughter who hated her. Ebony never made any sense to them. They let her go as it was no use trying to stop her._

_Walking around the streets with Umbreon, Ebony barged anyone who got in their way. She was never a people person and didn't go to school. She said it was a place for goody-two shoes. Instead she lived her life on the streets; she only seemed to go home when she really needed to. Her parents had made many attempts to bond with her but she threw it back in their faces. She had friends, but of course they weren't people. She only showed affection to her Umbreon, Cyndaquil, Trapinch, Voltorb and Gastly. She had never trained them or evolved them. Only Umbreon, because he was Ebony's first ever friend and Pokemon._

"_I'm hungry, what about you?" Umbreon nodded, so they both went into a corner shop. _

_Pokemon weren't allowed in unless they were small, but Ebony payed no attention to the shop keeper who told her to take Umbreon outside. She approached the chocolates and picked up a jumbo sized Twix. Umbreon nodded its head towards a Mars bar, so Ebony also picked up a jumbo Mars. She then walked past the counter and to the door._

"_Hey, you have to pay for those! Come back!" The man who seemingly owned the shop came away from behind the till and chased her. He didn't get very far though._

"_Shadow Ball." Umbreon looked back and shot a series of Shadow Balls at the man's feet, so he wouldn't get too injured. The man fell to his knees and watched as Ebony and Umbreon sprinted off. People who saw the whole thing didn't attempt to stop her. She was well known for her ruthless behaviour and her hobby of stealing._

_Ebony and Umbreon enjoyed their chocolate and once they were finished they headed off to their destination. The one place where she would continue to fulfil her dreams. Training camp. Not just any training camp, it was a place where you joined a team, or went on your own. It was designed for people who wanted to be evil and have a future dedicated to their evil ways. Ebony finally came to the building that held her dreams inside of it. She approached her boss, a bald fat man who wore a navy blue suit._

"_Did you get it?"_

"_Yes." Ebony showed him the money and he grinned. Her latest goal was to make over £150 in five days. The training was tough, but Ebony was a tough girl so it was easy for her. She would ditch her parents and her house to join a team and be successful in being a thief._

_* * * * _

_Karumo was now in his early twenties and Ebony was in her late teens. Karumo had been at the camp longer than Ebony and they were both now ready to go out on their own. Karumo and Ebony – plus several other people – stood in a large plain room and received a lecture from the boss._

"_So, you will now go out on your own or in a group if you have anything like that planned. I wish you all luck."_

_Most of the people had a group consisting of three people at the most. A few people went out on their own because they had goals that could only be achieved by being alone. Karumo and Ebony were the only ones left in the room. They stared at each other and Karumo found her quite attractive._

"_Hi, my name is Karumo." He held out his hand towards Ebony._

"_Ebony. Nice to meet you." She shook hands with him and looked at him._

"_So, what are you doing here? Not in a rude way! I mean what is your goal?" _

"_To be a thief. I can't stand my parents, and I generally don't like people. What's your reason?"_

"_To get revenge on my dad. He killed my mum when I was twelve. I'm not to sure about going out on my own thou-"Ebony interrupted him before he could finish._

"_I'll go with you. I can help you get revenge. I cant imagine what you must have gone through."_

_They became good friends, and he was Ebony's very first proper human friend. They named their group 'Team Elemental' and headed out to achieve their evil goals in life. Together. _

**A/N: Another update?! I must be in a happy mood XD Okay so Rina and Sky will return next chapter, but I decided since Autumnchronicles has been my best reader/reviewer I would thank her by dedicating a chapter to her OC. I then decided to add in Ebony's past since they both work together.**

**I think I enjoyed writing this chapter the most so far ^^ I'm happy how it came out, and expect another update in a few days!**

**Read and Review!**

**PP.**


	16. Embarrassment and Fans

anEmbarrassment and Fans.

Rina and Sky had finally left Canalave City and were now in Hearthome City. Rina had got Ralts to teleport them to Oreburgh so they could go east. They had also stopped off at Jubilife City as Rina wanted to get some new clothes. She had settled for a yellow tank top and a black pleated skirt much like her old one. She also bought some grey leggings which had stars on them. On her feet were some white converses. She had thrown her old clothes away since she didn't really like them anymore and her shoes were getting too small anyway.

Hearthome city was fairly large. The usual shops plus the contest hall and the gym were there. A new park called Amity Square was at the back of the city. It was a place where you could roam free with one Pokemon who was seen as cute enough. Luckily Sparky and Drifloon were on the list so they were going to do that later on. Sitting in the Pokemon Centre to rest, Rina and Sky had put their bags down on the floor next to the table they were sitting at. They had a map and were currently looking at the towns nearby and which way was best to go. Sparky was sitting on the table also looking at the map although she wasn't that interested as she couldn't even make out which way was up.

"My bag! Where is my bag?" Rina had reached down to pick her bag up so she could put the map in it only to find it was gone. Sky's bag was still where she left it.

"Alright; who stole my bag? When I get my hands on the person who took it I swear I will-" She didn't have a threat to shoot at them so she blushed and stood in the same position with her hands on her hips. Nurse Joy was out the back dealing with injured Pokemon so she didn't hear the girl frantically screaming. People in the Pokemon Centre stared at her and one boy stood up.

"I bet it was those pesky Aipom."

"Aipom? What's one of those?" Rina questioned.

"It's a Pokemon... Anyway, recently a group of them started harassing the town. They come and go as they please and steal anything of interest to them. A couple of people have actually started to move out because of it."

Rina turned to Sky and sat back down. Sky was now clutching her bag.

"We have got to find them! Important stuff is in that bag. Come on." Rina stood up and Sparky took her place on Rina's shoulder. Sky quickly stuffed the map in her bag and followed Rina.

"Hey, do you have any idea where they go? Like after they have taken stuff." Rina questioned the boy who seemed to know quite a bit on them.

"We think it could be just outside of the city. People have seen them go that way after stealing items. It's not really far but they could still be in the city."

She thanked him and exited the Pokemon Centre. Once outside Rina began to look around for any sign of an Aipom. Sky looked curiously at her and raised her eyebrow then she sighed. She shook her head and smirked.

"You don't know what an Aipom looks like, do you?"

"No..."

"It's a purple monkey with a big hand on its tail."

Rina nodded and began marching through the city mumbling things under her breath, like 'I'm going to find those Aipom and teach them a lesson'. Sparky was walking alongside Sky and glanced at each other and sighed at Rina's hopeless search. Did she really think she could expect to coincidently bump into the Aipom? Minutes passed and they were now on the outskirts of the city and in a forest. Of course their search was useless so far and no purple monkeys with funny tails had made an appearance.

"This is hopeless!" Rina screamed at the top of her voice. Starly flew out of the trees at the sound of the booming voice. Sky smirked at Rina; she just loved to see her get angry. It was pretty funny to see a teenage girl marching around looking for something that was no where in sight. Sky stopped smirking however when she saw just what they were searching for. A group of five Aipom swung from tree to tree and finally landing behind a bush. Rina, Sky and Sparky ran to where the Aipom had landed and looked behind the bush. A bunch of various items were gathered in a pile. The items were of no need to the Aipom, for example a driving licence.

"What the... look at the items they have! Hey, there's your bag."

The Aipom noticed they had visitors and immediately guarded the items as if they were of value. A slightly larger Aipom stepped forward and motioned to Sparky.

"I think it wants a battle. It sees us a threat to it." Sky pointed out, while Rina stared at the Aipom and then at Sparky.

"If it's a battle it wants, a battle it will get. Sparky use Thunderbolt." The two Pokemon had moved away from the bush and were now getting ready to battle on a path. The electric from Sparky's cheeks hit Aipom and pushed it back. The Aipom jumped away and looked at Sparky. It began to talk to Sparky – it was using Taunt.

"**Come on then mousey, show me what you got. A little fur ball like you couldn't do zilch to me. Why don't you run on home and eat some cheese." **The Aipom taunted Sparky, making her incredibly angry.

"**I AM NOT A LITTLE FUR BALL! You big ugly ape! I will show you. Thunderbolt!" **Sparky once again hit Aipom with a Thunderbolt attack.

Aipom countered with a Swift. It waved its hand-like tail around and sent sharp stars towards Sparky. While the remaining Aipom were distracted, Rina had crept over to the items and claimed her bag. She called out to Sparky and told her to stop battling as she had what she wanted and they might as well leave. Sparky reluctantly retreated back to Rina's side. The leader Aipom was having none of this. It wasn't happy to have its opponent walk away from a battle. It faced Rina and used Swagger. Rina immediately became confused and was unaware of her actions. She picked up a rock and started cradling it.

"Sparky you sure have put on weight."

Sky and Sparky watched Rina walk off in the direction of the city and hurried after her. The Aipom grinned at their victory and failed to notice the bag they stole was now in its rightful place. People stared at Rina and laughed at her as she walked throughthe city talking to her rock.

"What a cute thing you are! Oh yes you are." She rocked the rock back and forth and smiled stupidly at it. Sky was quite ashamed to be seen with her and had to make up excuses. One woman approached Sky just as Rina started throwing the rock up and down and giggling as she caught it.

"Is your friend feeling okay?"

"Oh! She is just uhh... she's a bit confused..." Sky had said this too many people and kids were frightened to walk past her. Three teenage boys walked past and stopped to watch her in amusement.

"I know Sparky! I will sing you a lullaby!" She began to sing "hush little baby" out of tune while cradling the rock. She suddenly kissed the rock and rubbed it against her cheek. She told "Sparky" she loved her very much. An audience was now surrounding the girls and the Pichu and started taking pictures, videoing her and laughing. Sky was red in the face and Sparky was now shocking Rina, hoping to snap her out of it. Sky had had enough of making up excuses.

"Look, she isn't mad or anything! We found those Aipom and they confused her! Go that way" she pointed to the direction of the Aipom, "and get your stuff. Just stop taking pictures already..."

Every single person rushed in the direction to find the Aipom. They had all obviously had something stolen from them and luckily that was a lot more important than watching a crazy girl mother a rock. Sparky shocked Rina one last time – snapping her out of the confusion. She glanced at the rock and then at Sky.

"Why am I holding a rock...?"

"Oh let's see. First of all the Aipom confused you into picking up that rock and thinking it was Sparky. Then you wandered here and people watched as you played with the rock, sang to it, called it cute then kissed it!" Rina blinked a few times and dropped the rock. She turned a deep shade of red and became speechless for a moment.

"I sang to it and kissed it?! I can't even sing! Oh how embarrassing! I can't wait to leave this place." Rina didn't even want to imagine how many people saw her taking a liking to a rock. Then there was her singing. She knew for a fact she was a terrible singer. She dreaded to think what her singing sounded like to everyone who witnessed it.

Rina put the ordeal at the back of her mind and decided to go to the Pokemon Centre because Sky wanted to use the computer. Once there, they logged on and accessed the internet. Sky checked a website that showed the moves Pokemon learnt and at what level. She checked Drifloon and seemed quite happy with its moves. Rina and Sky were planning on going to Amity Square soon but it didn't open until another ten minutes. Sky logged on to a website called "Poketube" where funny videos were posted for everyone to see. She saw one video in particular and called Rina over. Rina came over to her and saw the video. It was titled "Crazy Girl Loves Rock" and sure enough it was Rina and her pet rock. Rina screamed and switched off the computer then threw a tantrum. She yelled 'why' over and over.

After approximately ten minutes of throwing a tantrum she decided to forget all about the video being on the internet and they headed for Amity Square. Sky also wanted to go there and was hoping to bond with Drifloon a bit more. One the way people who passed Rina giggled at her and pointed. Some people complimented her saying she was hilarious and funny. She ignored the people snickering at her and talking about her and thanked the people who said something that she guessed was a compliment. They entered the park with their Pokemon who were allowed to roam free. Rina and Sparky had a nice time wandering around and finding items and accessories. They even made friends with a boy and his Pikachu.

Sky however, was not having a good time. Her Drifloon had gone wild and floated around causing trouble. It pushed a young girl into a fountain and scared several Pokemon by jumping out on them. Sky ran frantically after Drifloon as it approached a man.

"Drifloon please don't do anything ba-"Too late. Drifloon had rammed into the man and wrapped its heart shaped leg-like limbs around the mans face and it seemed as if it was laughing. Sky had to pull the wild Drifloon off of the man and apologized to him. He didn't accept her apology and told her she should keep it under control. He then walked off and told his Pysduck to keep clear of them. The woman who worked behind the desk at the front entrance approached Sky and told her she would have to leave as people were complaining. Rina saw Sky leave and felt sorry for her. After finding a few more berries she decided they should leave as it wasn't fair on Sky.

"Drifloon just doesn't listen to me apart from when we are in a battle. I don't know what to do." Sky was sitting on a wall with her chin resting in her hands. She had put Drifloon back in its Pokeball and was now talking to Rina.

"I wouldn't worry too much if I were you. Some Pokemon take a while before they warm up to their trainers. Tell you what, let's go and get something to eat – my treat."

Sky smiled at Rina and her encouraging words and jumped of the wall. They went to find somewhere to eat as it was getting late and they would be going back to the Pokemon Centre soon to get some sleep in the room they had rented earlier.

They settled on a small burger place in the city. The outside was red and it was called "Burgers". How original. Once inside the cafe they sat at a table in the corner right at the back, not many people were in the cafe so it was quiet. They looked at the menu and after a while a waitress came over. They order the food and passed the time by talking.

"We haven't seen Nicholas for a while, I wonder how he is."

Rina looked at Sky carefully.

"Why are you so interested in him?"

"I'm not, I'm just interested in his Pokemon." she grinned. "His Luxray was cool."

Rina was about to agree but they were interrupted by the food being placed on the table. Rina had ordered a chicken burger with lettuce and mayonnaise and Sky ordered a bacon and cheese burger. Sparky had a small bowl of chips, the amount of chips were especially designed for small Pokemon. They sat in the cafe for an hour before finally paying and leaving. With their stomachs full they decided to go back to the Pokemon Centre before they closed.

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait! This would of been up DAYS ago but I had trouble putting it up... but a major thanks to my friend Lydiageorge for helping me :D I think I'm doing this too fast, like the story will end soon because things are moving to fast. If you know what I mean. Tell me if I should slow things down a bit and have more chapters like this instead of jumping from Gym battle to Gym battle.**

**I found this chapter quite funny and I quite like it :)**

**I don't have much too say I don't think...**

**See you next chapter ;P**

**R&R please?**

**Sarah**


	17. Changes

Changes.

Sky stirred in her sleep and then opened her eyes. She glanced at the digital clock and it read 8:35am. She pulled the covers off of her and slowly got out of bed. She yawned and stretched and then checked on Rina – who was still asleep. She gathered her clothes and crept into the bathroom to get changed. Once she was dressed and had done her hair and brushed her teeth she quietly exited the room and made her way to the main part of the Pokemon Centre. She figured she would let Rina sleep since today was the day she would challenge the gym leader. Besides, there was something she had wanted to do.

The Pokemon Centre was fairly empty with the exception of Nurse Joy and a few Pokemon trainers. She logged on to the internet and went straight to 'Poketube'. Sure enough the video of Rina was on the front of the website, but what Sky wanted to know was how many views it had. She snickered as she saw it had already got three thousand seven hundred and eight views. It hadn't even been up for twenty-four hours! Sky decided it would be best for Rina to not know about this, so she logged off and headed back to their room to wake up Rina. Sky was just reaching their room when Rina stepped out.

"Good morning sleepyhead." Sky grinned.

Rina and Sparky yawned in response and they all went to get some breakfast. Rina spread the chocolate spread on thick on her third piece of toast. She had claimed she would need to have a good breakfast to be able to win a gym badge, and Sky commented that it was her Pokemon fighting – not her. Sky settled for a bowl of co-co pops and Sparky ate the usual Pokemon food. Once they were done eating they returned the keys to their room back to Nurse Joy and thanked her. They then left the Pokemon Centre and breathed in the fresh air.

"I suppose you want to go to the gym right awa- EEK!" Rina turned to Sky who had suddenly stopped talking and held back her laughter. Sky had been pulled into a bear hug by an all too familiar Snorlax. Tubby.

"Can't breathe..." Sky gasped and struggled to break free from the large Snorlax.

"Hey Tubby, I will buy you a hotdog or whatever if you release Sky. What do you say to that?" Rina smiled sweetly and Tubby immediately let go of Sky and ran to the nearby hotdog stand. Rina and Sky ran over to Tubby just in time to witness him eat a bunch of hotdogs. The man who worked there looked shocked and then turned to Rina.

"He just ate twenty nine hotdogs... that'll be £19 please." Rina sighed and took out her purse. She reluctantly paid the man and glared at Tubby.

"Where is Tizzy? I'm not having this! You just made me spend a lot of money on hotdogs! Tizzy should be feeding you not me!" Tubby's eyes began to water and he sat down on the floor. He began crying, shaking and thumping the ground with his hands which were balled into fists.

"What is wrong with him??"

"Is Tizzy not around right now?" Rina's voice softened as she spoke to Tubby – who nodded.

"We can't leave him here like this. But what about my gym badge?"

"Bring him with us. After your gym battle we can find Tizzy."

Rina and Sky managed to calm down Tubby long enough for them to explain that they would look after him and then find Tizzy later on. Tubby however wasn't prepared to move, so Sparky had to talk some sense into him. After a few minutes of Sparky convincing Tubby to get up, he got up and they finally made their way to the gym. Once inside they observed it. It was just like any other gym and Sky and Tubby sat in the stands. Tubby had to use up two and a half seats. The gym leader was called Fantina and she had a very strong French accent. She wore a long purple dress and high heels.

"The three-on-three gym battle between Fantina and Rina will now begin."

Fantina took out a Pokeball and released a Gengar. Rina inspected it carefully and sent out Glaceon.

"Gengar lets use Shadow Punch."

Gengar raced towards Glaceon with his fist pulled back and a purple glow surrounded it. His fist connected with Glaceon's left cheek and Glaceon skidded back from the impact.

"Ice Shard."

Glaceon countered with a stream of sharp icicles. Most of them hit Gengar but he managed to avoid a few of them. Rina then got Glaceon to use Bite. Glaceon bared its teeth and bit down on Gengar's arm. Gengar rubbed his arm and attempted to ignore the throbbing pain.

"Hypnosis, quick." Gengar stared at Glaceon and a weird sensation made Glaceon drop on the floor; asleep.

"No! Wake up! Please." Glaceon showed no signs of movement apart from her soft breathing.

"Nice one Gengar. Now use Dream Eater." Gengar cackled and made Glaceon have some sort of bad dreams as she started to shiver and cry out. Glaceon shaked so more and was starting to wake up.

"Yes! Come on Glaceon, use Bite." Glaceon opened her eyes completely and remembered she was in a battle. She bared her teeth and sprinted towards Gengar.

"No, don't let it. Use Shadow Punch." Gengar tried to pull his fist back but because his arm was hurt from the last Bite attack – he failed. Glaceon bit down on his arm again and the attack did a lot of damage. Gengar fell on his back and fainted.

"Noooooooooooo! Gengar you did well, take a rest my dear." Fantina returned her fainted Pokemon back to its Pokeball and took another one out.

"Glaceon you were fabulous!" The ground began to shake as Tubby ran towards Glaceon and planted a soppy kiss on her cheek. Glaceon blushed and did nothing. Tubby seemed to taken a liking to the ice type as his eyes were lit up and he was smiling.

"Tubby! Get back here; I have some food for you..." Sky bribed him away from Glaceon and back to his seat. She fed him a piece of chocolate and Rina told Glaceon to take a break. Glaceon was still blushing as she was put back in her Pokeball.

"Drifblim, you're up next."

"Sparky, it's time for you to have a gym battle!" Sparky leapt forward – excited to be in her first gym battle.

"Use Ominous Wind." Fantina called the first move once again. A purple and blue strong wind smacked Sparky's tiny body with intense power. Sparky was blown back but managed to land on her feet.

"Drifblim is weak to electric attack so use Thunderbolt." Sparky's green cheeks sparked as a blast of electricity hit Drifblim. It remained in the air but flew back quite a bit. Sparky smiled and suddenly began to glow. Her body grew bigger as did her tail and ears. Once the glowing stopped a Pikachu stood in place. Sparky's tail at the end was shaped like a heart showing she was a girl. It seemed Sparky had bonded more with Rina and she felt the time was right to evolve. Sparky faced Rina and grinned happily. But Rina didn't smile back at first.

"Sky... her cheeks..."

Sparky's cheeks were no longer green; instead they were the usual red colour. Rina explained to Sparky about her cheeks and said she was truly happy she had evolved. They turned back to Fantina and Drifblim and carried on the battle.

"Well this should be interesting. Use Gust."

"Use Quick Attack to dodge." In a flash Sparky moved away from where she stood and in front of Drifblim. She had managed to get away from the Gust attack but as she darted into Drifblim she went right through him and landed on the floor.

"How could I forget, ghost type Pokemon aren't affected by normal type moves," Rina muttered as she watched Drifblim turn around to face Sparky. "Stay cool Rina."

Meanwhile Tubby and Sky watched the battle and Sky was on the edge of her seat. Tubby stared at Sky and then opened his mouth wide. He was about to bite Sky but ended up biting thin air as Sky had stood up at the last second to cheer on Sparky and Rina. Tubby frowned and stared at the floor – his hunger had got the better of him and his belly was telling him to eat something or someone.

"Thunderbolt, quick." After hearing Sky cheer her on, Rina regained her confidence and Sparky hit Drifblim head on with the electric attack.

He floated back a few feet but managed to hit Sparky with an Ominous Wind – on Fantina's command. Both Pokemon were breathing heavily and all Rina could do was watch. Neither Pokemon made another move; they just carried on staring. Eventually Sparky collapsed and Drifblim fell to the ground. Both Pokemon were unconscious.

"Sparky! Are you okay?" Rina ran to her fallen Pikachu and gently picked her up. Sparky opened her eyes and gave a small smile as she was carried away by Rina. Rina handed her to Sky and asked her to look after her. Tubby saw his chance as he came to the conclusion that unlike Sky – Sparky wouldn't have the energy to move out of the way. Tubby grinned hungrily as he moved closer to Sparky's tail. Rina saw this at the corner of her eye and yelped. Sky moved Sparky away at the last second, just as Tubby was about to chew on Sparky's tail.

"Maybe you should stay with me." Rina took Sparky in her arms and made her way back to the field. She sat Sparky on the floor next to her and Sparky seemed to have a bit of energy to watch the battle. In the background Rina could head Sky scolding Tubby and told him firmly that "you don't chew on another Pokemon's tail."

Fantina's final Pokemon was a Mismaguis. It looked to be her strongest Pokemon, and since she had saved it for last her assumption was most likely correct. Rina wondered for a moment what Pokemon she should use.

'_Ralts' moves won't do much. Flareon is strong but Staravia hasn't had a battle in a while. '_

Rina grabbed a Pokeball and called out Staravia who fluttered around. Rina still had Glaceon left as well, but she wasn't in good condition after her battle with Gengar. This time Fantina said Rina could have the first move.

"Alright Staravia use Aerial Ace." Staravia shot towards Mismaguis with her wings spread out. Mismaguis made no attempt to dodge it since Aerial Ace was impossible to get away from. Mismaguis took the attack but soon shook it off.

"Mismaguis dear, use Psywave and make it hurt." Mismaguis' eyes lit up and a pink beam shot out. Staravia moved to the left to dodge but the Psywave caught Staravia's right wing. She fluttered a bit as she lost some control in her injured wing.

"Ignore the pain, you're fine Staravia. Wing Attack." Staravia struck Mismaguis again but with less power this time because it was a slightly weaker attack and her wing was injured.

"Let's end this soon. Hypnosis!" A strange power that emitted from Mismaguis' eyes made Staravia fall asleep. With Staravia asleep Rina was unable to call out.

"Now use Psywave." Just like before a pink beam hit Staravia right on the head. Fantina kept calling out the word "again!" Mismaguis kept on firing the beam at Staravia and eventually Staravia woke up. Rina smiled happily but the smile faded as Staravia fell back to ground. She wasn't asleep this time, she was unconscious. At the judges command Rina recalled Staravia and sent out Glaceon. She was Rina's last hope. Glaceon looked fairly better after having rested for a while in her Pokeball but was still not at full strength. Mismaguis was also not at full strength so there was still a glimmer of hope for Rina.

Back with Sky and Tubby things were still no better. Sky was now trying to push Tubby away from her, as his new interest was chewing on her hair. His stomach must have been telling him the craziest things since it had come to chewing on hair. Why Tubby was hungry was another matter. He had eaten twenty nine hotdogs about an hour ago!

"Glaceon this is it. This battle decides if we win or not. Let's slow them down a bit with Sand Attack." Glaceon turned around so it was no longer facing Mismaguis and began kicking her hind feet. She looked back to make sure she was aiming right and sure enough the sand she kicked had hit Mismaguis and made it less fast.

"Don't worry about that. Just use Psywave."

'_Oh come on! Is that the only offensive move they know?!"_

"Dodge it and use Bite." Glaceon gracefully dodged the attack and sped towards Mismaguis. On Fantina's command Mismaguis dodged the attack, but Glaceon wasn't giving up. She changed direction and bit down hard on Mismaguis.

"Icy Wind." Glaceon immediately followed up the attack with a cold icy wind which hit Mismaguis straight in the face. Unable to take anymore damage Mismaguis fainted. Its battle with Staravia had already injured her quite a bit.

"We won Glaceon!" Rina pulled the ice type into an embrace and rubbed her head. Sky and Tubby approached them and Sky congratulated them. Glaceon admired Sparky and patted her head for evolving.

"Rina that was outstanding. Your Pokemon's courage is the reason why you won, along with your excellent training and confidence." Fantina complimented Rina on her Pokemon.

"Thanks, it was a hard battle though."

"Voila." Fantina held out the gym badge and Rina great fully accepted it. She then put the badge away and put Glaceon back in her Pokeball. They quickly left as Sky complained that she no longer wanted a hungry, hair-chewing Pokemon hanging around them. Once they were outside Rina wondered aloud where they should even start their search for the missing girl.

Tubby motioned for them to follow and they found themselves in the same forest where the Aipom roam. Tubby looked around and shouted his name.

"This is probably the last place Tubby saw Tizzy." Sky said. The way Tubby was reacting she was sure she was right. They walked deeper into the forest, with Tubby leading. After passing several more trees they finally caught sight of Tizzy who seemed to be playing with a small blue baby Pokemon.

"Pipin isn't this fun!" Tizzy happily said as she continued to roll the small Pokemon – who was called Pipin – around. The Pokemon was an Azurill and for some reason it didn't mind acting like a ball.

"We finally found you! Please do us a favour and take Tubby!" Tizzy looked around and finally noticed them. Tizzy ran up to Tubby and hugged him.

"Oh Tubby I'm sorry for making you feel left out and jealous. You know I still love you but Pipin is only a baby." Tubby seemed to forgive her right away and Tubby then approached Pipin. It looked like they were properly introducing themselves.

"Thank you for finding my Tubby. He got a bit upset when I caught Pipin and ran off. I don't know how to thank you."

"The perfect way to thank us is to make sure Tubby doesn't hang around us again..." Sky muttered and Rina elbowed her and gave her a don't-be-so-rude look.

"Well we have to go. Make sure you look after the baby Azurill. Bye bye." Rina quickly hurried Sky off back to the town, just in case Tubby felt the need to hug them as a thank you.

Back in the Pokemon Centre Rina got her Pokemon checked out and once Nurse Joy was done with them she allowed her Pokemon to see Sparky. Rina had wanted them to be aware of the change of colour in her cheeks, and she would soon question Rowan on it. Meanwhile Sky was retrieving the keys to the room they had used the night before, telling Nurse Joy they would be staying one more night.

Lying in bed that night with Sparky curled up next to her, Rina and Sky were still awake and discussing a few serious matters.

"What happens next time we see Team Elemental?" Sky asked.

"What do you mean?" Rina knew Sky was still afraid of them, and there would be a lot more occasions of having to battle them.

"I mean their Pokemon, they're so strong. We could never beat them."

"Have you forgotten those devices we saw? I have a feeling that's they key to the Pokemon's power. Next time we see them we'll use my plan which is to try and break those devices. Hopefully my idea about the device is correct, and hopefully we will finally have them put in jail next time."

"I think you could be onto something there. What about Sparky's sudden change in cheek colour? What would cause that?" Sky was full of questions tonight and Rina had answers for most of them.

"Who knows? I'm going to have a chat with Rowan soon. Even if he doesn't know he'll look into it since that _is _his job."

The room went quite as Sky had no more questions to ask. Rina was older and more mature so whenever something was bugging Sky, she would turn to Rina. She sure was lucky to have a friend like her, and there was one thing she was sure about. She would be the one to protect Rina next time. Rina had no reason to get hurt by Team Elemental, it was Sky's problem.

"I'm getting sleepy. Goodnight Sky."

"Goodnight."

Sky didn't fall asleep straight away. Her thoughts once again went to Mew. She was worried for the Pokemon, she was targeted. Sky had wanted to protect Mew but she didn't know if she was doing a good job of it.

Sky realized that at such a young age she was the one who was to protect a legendary Pokemon. She was only thirteen, and she wondered if she could protect herself and her friends. Even though Mew was in another region she still had hope that she would see her again.

**A/N: Wow long chapter! This took a while because as you know, battles aren't my strong point. I'm extremely happy with this chapter overall.**

**But I realized, I only have one reviewer which is Autumnchronicles... I know other people are reading because there were several people putting this on alert. I'm wondering if I should bother posting this on FF...**

**I would love to have more reviewers to make me want to carry on with this.**

**Please review!**

**Sarah.**


	18. Authors Note

**A/N:**

**Okay first of all I want to say sorry to those who thought this was going to be an actual chapter xD**

**The reason for this A/N is I have posted two pictures on my profile. The one drawn by me is of Rina and Sparky! ^_^**

**The second one is by Lydiageorge and she drew her characters: Tizzy and Tubby!**

**Please go and check them out at it would probably help you to imagine them (:**

**I will be drawing Sky and one of her Pokemon soon.**

**Thanks!**

**Sarah (PP)**


	19. Dealing With Drink

"I understand. Thank you professor." Rina hung up and turned to Sky who was looking worried for her friend. Sky didn't know how to put her words into a sentence without sounding rude.

"So, your mum isn't too well?"

"No. She is drinking non-stop again and Sheila is struggling to look after her and Ashley. Ashley knows what mum is like and is scared of her. Ashley just can't stay with her! Professor Rowan has sent some Pokemon over to collect us."

Sky gave Rina a hug and assured her everything would work out. That morning Nurse Joy had told Rina she had a phone call and it was Professor Rowan. He told her Sheila had come to him for help and Ashley had wanted Rina there. Rina's mum had started drinking heavily a few days ago and she often shouted Ashley or Sheila for no reason. Sheila felt that Rina would be able to get through to her and so the Professor had sent some Pokemon over to Hearthome City to take Rina and Sky back home for a few days.

They waited in the Pokemon Centre in silence. Rina wasn't upset – just angry. How could her mum do this? Didn't her mum know she had a huge responsibility to look after Ashley properly now that Rina had started her Pokemon journey? Shirley couldn't be there all day every day. She _did _have a life of her own.

It was another two hours of waiting patiently before they saw a couple of Pokemon land outside. Rina and Sky gathered their bags and headed out to greet the Pokemon. The first Pokemon was a Salamence and the second was a Flygon. Both Pokemon were well trained and lowered their bodies to let the two girls climb on. Rina climbed onto Flygon while Sky climbed onto Salamence. Once they were comfortable the flying types beat their wings and set of for the two hour flight back to Twinleaf Town.

Rina looked forward to seeing Ashley but was feeling slightly sick at having to see the state of her mum. The feeling in her stomach could be because she had never been one to travel for a long time without feeling ill, but she was sure if was because she would have to face her mum again. Another thing she didn't want was for Sky to get caught up in any trouble. When her mum was drunk she would take her anger out on anyone, and that included her daughter's friends. Her mum could say some really horrible stuff and Rina was never sure if she meant it or not. She would definitely have to warn Sky before they got there, just in case her mum did say something to Sky and Sky took it to heart.

* * * *

"Land!" Sky squealed as her feet finally touched the floor. On their way they had to stop twice so Sky could be sick, it wasn't very nice for Rina. As soon as they landed they were greeted by Professor Rowan, who then recalled the two Pokemon.

"It's good to see you both. Oh and I see Sparky evolved."

"That's right. Once this is all over with I need to ask you a few questions, but for now let's concentrate on my mum."

Rowan nodded and lead the way to Rina's house. After a few knocks Sheila opened the door and she looked exhausted. Her hair was slightly messy and she kept sighing.

"Welcome home." Sheila said simply as she moved aside so they could enter the house.

"Thanks, Sheila this is my friend Sky, I have been travelling with her. Sky this is my neighbour and she has been helping us out for a long time."

The two greeted each other and a small girl came running up to Rina and jumped on her.

"Ashley it's so good to see you again." Rina returned the hug and introduced her to Sky.

Once everyone was introduced to each other and they were settled down Rina asked where her mum was. Sheila dismissed herself from the room and said she was going to get her. She made her way upstairs. Sky observed Rina's behaviour and became anxious herself. Sky remembered the warning Rina had given her earlier, and she truthfully was not looking forward to meeting her friends mum. Sky bonded with Ashley immediately and she could see why Rina missed her.

A few minutes later Sheila re-entered the room with a scruffy looking woman trailing behind her. Her brown hair looked as if it hadn't been washed in at least a week, and dark patches were under her eyes. She was dressed in a plain green top and grey tracksuit bottoms. Her feet were bare and she dragged herself along over to the wall in front of where everyone was sat, so she could see them.

"Hi mum." Rina's voice was quite. Her mum groaned in response and then noticed a stranger sitting on her sofa next to her daughter.

"Who the hell is she?" She yelled and pointed to Sky. Sky shivered and opened her mouth to speak but no words came out.

"Mum this is my friend Sky. We are travelling together." Rina spoke for Sky. Everyone else stayed silent, waiting for a reply.

Catherine said nothing. Instead she shuffled over to a table and picked up the bottle of vodka. She opened it and began to drink as much as she could. Ashley looked at her older sister, pleading with her for help. Sheila and the Professor remained quite, as did Sky. It was best for Rina to sort this out and they would help her when she needed it.

"Mum, please stop. Why don't I show you and Ashley my Pokemon? They have grown quite a lot and I think you'll like them." Rina stood up and approached her mum who had stopped drinking.

"I don't want to see them. I want to be left alone! Everyone get out now!"

Sky rose from her seat straight away and soon enough everyone else had as well. Ashley stayed seated and held onto Sky's hand.

"Sit back down, she doesn't mean it."

Rina waited for them to sit back down but they didn't move. Sky, Sheila and Rowan didn't know what to do in this situation and Sky felt Ashley squeeze her hand. Ashley then let go of Sky's hand and made her way over to Rina and her mum.

"Mummy, why don't we go outside and see Rina's Pokemon?" Ashley suggested hopefully as she reached out desperately for her mum's hand. Catherine didn't react well. She swatted Ashley's hand away and went to push her. Rina saw this and moved in front of her younger sister. She held onto her and started yelling.

"What are you thinking?! How could you go to push your youngest daughter out of the way? That's not like you. Stop drinking and start showing some love towards Ashley!" Both sisters were now crying and Sparky moved protectively next to them. Rowan and Sheila kept Sky back, who wanted to go and help.

"I... I'm so sorry Rina. I don't mean to be like this. I just feel so lonely. Please help me." Catherine pulled her daughters into a hug and cried with them. She really didn't want to show hate towards them, when she was drunk she didn't know what she was doing. They stopped crying and pulled away from each other.

"Mummy is not very well at the moment, but she'll get better soon."

Rowan suggested that Sheila and Ashley should stay with Catherine while he went outside to talk to Rina and Sky. They agreed so Rina, Sky and Rowan then made their way to Sandgem Town so Rowan could show them something in his lab.

* * * *

"Your mum mentioned she felt lonely, so I have an idea. Out in the garden we keep many Pokemon, most of them are Pokemon abandoned by their trainers, and some are Pokemon who don't like humans. I think it would be good for your mum to have a Pokemon at home with her and Ashley."

They stood in the garden as Rowan continued to explain to them that the Pokemon on the left were the ones she could choose from.

"I think that could work. Thank you so much."

Rina and Sky spent a few hours getting to know all the different kinds of Pokemon and deciding which ones her mum would like. Rina knew her and Sky would never forget the events that took place in her house, but deep down Rina understood. Her mum _didn't _mean to be horrible to them, she couldn't help it.

Rina settled with a cute Pokemon that wasn't shy but also wouldn't cause much trouble. Rina picked up the Pokemon and showed Rowan.

"Ah a Ditto. Good choice, let's go back to your house now."

Catherine fell in love with Ditto immediately. She hugged it, kissed it and admired it. It was as if she never had seen a Ditto before! She also agreed to letting Sky stay the night and apologized for being so rude and scaring her earlier. It would take time but Catherine would get better eventually, she now had to look after Ashley _and_ Ditto.

Sheila and Rowan went home soon after and Catherine went to bed before anyone else because she had a headache. Rina, Sky, Sparky and Ashley sat on the sofa in their pyjamas with a bowl of popcorn and watched the movie 'Pokemon 2000'. When the credits rolled Rina noticed Ashley was asleep. She carefully picked her up and carried her upstairs with Sky following. She put her to bed and showed Sky to their room. Since they were friends they had no problem sharing a bed – there was nothing wrong with it. Sparky curled up on the end of the bed and fell asleep instantly. Rina and Sky talked for about ten minutes before falling asleep.

__________________________________________________________________________________

**A/N: First of all this chapter may be a bit rushed so I apologize for that. Secondly I have a new poll on my profile which is related to Sinnoh Challenges, so please vote! It is quite important.**

**I'm going on holiday tomorrow for a week, so expect no updates until probably next Monday. Please don't give up on this story because I won't update for a week!**

**I had no idea what movie I wanted them to watch so I decided to use an actual Pokemon movie :D**

**Review please!**

**Sarah.**


	20. Friend Or Enemy?

Friend or Enemy?

"Ditto use Transform and turn into Sparky." Rina squealed as she watched her mums new Pokemon face Sparky and transform into it. It was Ditto's only move and the girls had been fascinated by it all morning. They were still at Rina's house but they were planning on leaving soon. Catherine had thrown away all the alcohol in the house; which was hidden in her room. The amount of empty bottles was unbelievable and Rina was surprised her mum could change so quickly. Not many people were able to give up drinking easily.

Rina, Sky and Ashley were sat in the kitchen finishing of their breakfast when the phone rang. Catherine said she would answer it and rushed off. Rina glanced at the clock and saw it was 8:49am.

"Who would be calling at this time...?" Rina wondered aloud. Sky shrugged her shoulders and drank her apple juice while Ashley poked Ditto continuously. Sky had an unusual craving for apple juice. Ditto was very squishy so it was probably fun to poke it a bit. Catherine entered the room and a worried look was plastered on her face.

"Rina, Sky, it's the Professor. He needs to speak to you both immediately."

Rina and Sky shot a quick look at each other before rushing off to the phone. Rowan's face was on the screen and he looked quite serious. Rina felt butterflies in her stomach. Had they done something wrong?

"Professor what's wrong?"

"It's Team Elemental. I found out they are terrorizing Canalave City, it doesn't sound _that _bad but the real problem is they have a legendary Pokemon in their hands. It's only quite young so it's scared, it can't escape because they managed to capture it well. I don't know the full situation yet but the police are there and asked me to send you two to the scene. They have heard a lot about you and think you could help."

"A legendary Pokemon?! How on earth did they manage that? We'll go right away professor." Sky spoke this time as Rina was in shock.

"Good. I will send over Flygon and Salamence from Sandgem Town and have them take you to Canalave City. I will come as well on my Swellow."

Rina and Sky nodded and hung up. Catherine and Ashley had been listening the whole time and made conversation.

"I want you to be careful. Rowan has told me all about what those people have put you through. I would come but I need to be here with Ashley. Please don't do anything stupid."

"We won't mum don't worry. Our Pokemon are pretty strong and I'm sure Flygon, Salamence and Swellow will help us out."

Catherine nodded in understanding and it wasn't long before Professor Rowan and his three flying Pokemon arrived outside the door. Ashley hugged Rina and Sky as did Catherine. Deep down Catherine was worried about their safety. She knew what they had done to Sky when they wanted information from her, so how far would they go if Rina and Sky interfered with their evil plans?

As before Rina and Sparky hopped onto Flygon and Sky went with Salamence. Professor Rowan waved to Catherine and Ashley and they were off. The three Pokemon were fast, so the journey didn't take more than an hour.

* * * *

"Woah, look at this place." Rina's mouth was wide open in shock as she looked around the deserted city. No people or Pokemon were in sight, the only commotion was over by the library where a few trainers and their Pokemon could be seen. The police were no where in sight.

"Let's go over there."

Rina, Sky and the Professor ran across the bridge while Flygon, Salamence and Swellow flew overhead. When they were a few feet away they could see Terry and his usual army of followers. By them were three trainers, a girl and two boys. Rina, Sky and Rowan moved closer to see. They got there in time to witness the girl's Butterfree get knocked out, and a Wartortle and a Golbat each belonging to one of the boys also got knocked out.

The trainers ran off and Rina guessed they were out of Pokemon. Apparently quite a few trainers had tried to stop them – and had all failed.

Terry snickered as he saw them run off then laughed harder when he saw his new company. Rowan hadn't dealt with them before so he backed of slightly, not knowing what to expect. Sparky stepped forward protectively, and the three flying types saw this so they landed slightly in front of the girls as well.

"So I see you came with some new helpers this time?" Terry grinned. His little group of followers grinned along with him.

"Cut the chit-chat. We heard you have a legendary Pokemon, if that's true where is it?" Rina got straight to the point.

Terry looked pleased with himself as he stepped aside and revealed a medium sized shiny black machine. Two antennas were sticking out of each side and small blue Pokemon floated above it. Rowan announced it was a Manaphy and pointed out that its eyes were an unusual red colour.

'_So it's true. They do have a rare Pokemon.'_ Sky thought to herself.

"I have a great idea! Why don't you send out all of your Pokemon and we'll have a battle. If we win we keep Manaphy. If we lose feel free to take this Manaphy from us. What do you say?" Terry offered a bet and the prize was Manaphy

"This could be a trap, but if all of our Pokemon work together we could win." Sky and Rowan nodded in confirmation and Rina and Sky sent out all of their Pokemon. Flygon, Salamence and Swellow joined in and Rowan released a Monferno. For some reason Terry didn't send out any Pokemon, instead all of the Pokemon they already had out were called back to their Pokeballs. Terry quickly switched on the machine and laughed.

"You fools! You fell for our plan. You see, this machine will let us be in control of any Pokemon near it."

Rina and Sky gasped and quickly tried to recall their Pokemon but it was too late. All their Pokemon turned to face them and their eyes were red – just like Manaphy.

"Sparky...?"

Sparky didn't listen to Rina, instead she edged closer to Terry then stared at Rina and her cheeks sparked. Terry now had an army of Pokemon and had a major advantage over the situation. Rowan didn't look too surprised; he probably knew they were up to something. He was also confident they could win somehow, but then again he was unaware of Terry's ways.

"Let's make things a bit exciting shall we? Pikachu use Thunderbolt on her," he pointed to Rina. "And Vulpix use Flamethrower on her." He then pointed to Sky. Sparky and Vulpix attacked the people they once respected and would do anything for. Rina and Sky jumped out of the way and remained unharmed.

"Professor, do you have any other Pokemon with you?" Sky asked desperately.

"I do. But they would be of no help because that machine will just control them."

Rina screamed as a Thunderbolt just missed her. They had to do something otherwise their Pokemon would never listen to them again. Sky pointed out the fact that if the machine was destroyed, the power Terry had would be gone.

"We have no way of destroying it though. Plus, how would we get past them?" Sky was on the verge of breaking down. It was so hard to see her own Pokemon attacking her and there was nothing she could do about it.

"Tubby let's use that new move. Hyper Beam!" Everyone turned to Tizzy and Tubby standing on the other side of the bridge, so the machine wouldn't affect Tubby. As Tubby let of the intense power, Sky felt like hugging Tizzy for coming to save them. However, their luck was cut short. Tubby's Hyper Beam went up in the air and disappeared and Terry laughed at her effort.

"I guess we still haven't mastered that yet... Well see ya!" Tizzy didn't give it a second thought as she and Tubby skipped off.

"Why didn't she do more to help?!" Sky shouted. Tizzy probably didn't want Tubby to end up like the other Pokemon, so instead of helping she skipped away and didn't bother to help her friends further.

"I've had enough. We have to do something." Rowan stepped forward and inspected the machine.

"I think I have a plan." Rowan called Rina and Sky closer so they would be able to hear him whispering. Terry and his followers were busy gathering all the Pokemon together.

"I will distract Terry and the others, and then I want you two to somehow push the machine into the river running under the bridge."

"Or Nicholas could just use his Luxray's Thunderbolt..." Rina and Rowan turned to where Sky was pointing. Nicholas was on the other side of the bridge – where Tizzy had been moments before – and his Luxray was using Thunderbolt on the machine. Eventually the machine smashed and Terry looked shocked.

"How...? You said that machine was indestructible!" He shouted at one of his men.

"W-well Sir. The indestructible one would have cost too much to build..."

"Useless!!" The argument continued on as Sky looked over to thank Nicholas, but he was already gone. Rina noticed her sad face and put an arm around her shoulder.

"I know you like him."

"Wh-what?! I do not."

"Sure, we'll talk about that later. But now let's get our Pokemon to safety before they unleash more power."

All of their Pokemon came running/flying over to their respectful owners and they shared a hug. Manaphy floated near Rina and Sky, having realised they are good people – unlike Terry.

"I wonder why the police didn't come..." Rina wondered.

"Never mind that, look!" Rowan gestured over to where Terry and his men were. Terry was holding a black orb which he smashed on the ground. Thick black smoke surrounded the area and when it finally blew away, Team Elemental was no where to be seen.

"So that's how they always get away. That orb has some kind of mysterious power..."

They recalled their Pokeballs and seemingly forgot about the baby Pokemon floating around them, waiting for someone to acknowledge it.

"What about this little guy?" Sky asked.

"Well he belongs in the sea. I'm sure he will find his way back by going through the river." Manaphy hugged Rina and Sky and smiled at them, before diving down into the river.

"Take care Manaphy!" Rina and Sky shouted and a faint 'Mana' could be heard.

"That was his way of saying thank you, I think." Sky and Rowan nodded in agreement and soon a flood of people came out of the Pokemon Centre.

"You beat those guys didn't you?"

"Thank you so much!"

"Can I have your autograph?"

"You're my idol."

People surrounded Rina and Sky and they were speechless. Rina had gained more fans, but for all the right reasons this time. One girl grabbed onto Sky's leg and smiled up at her. Sky didn't mind kids, but she didn't appreciate them gripping their nails into her bare skin. Rina didn't bother to mention they hadn't done anything at all; Nicholas and his Luxray had done all the work. After a few minutes people were still swarming them and Sparky decided to intervene.

"Pika pi!" She threatened everyone with her electric attacks and they soon got the message and backed off. Her once cute look was replaced with a death look. Once everyone had gone she looked cute again and smiled up at Rina.

"Thanks Sparky."

"Well, I guess we should get going. Flygon and Salamence will bring you back to Hearthome City so you can carry on with your adventure."

"Before we go, can we talk about Sparky's cheeks? I can't stop thinking about why her cheeks went back to normal after she evolved."

Rowan nodded and they headed to a nearby cafe. Flygon, Salamence and Swellow stayed outside, since they were too big to go inside. They sat away from everyone else so it was quieter and they would have more privacy. Rina drank her chocolate milkshake while Sky drank apple juice. Rowan thought over the question for a moment before coming up with a conclusion.

"A light ball."

"A what?"

"It's a ball specially designed for Pikachu. It makes a Pikachu more powerful but it can also have side affects. Sparky may have had one inside of her and when she evolved she may have lost it."

"Wait, you said 'inside of her'. What do you mean by that?" Rina could never imagine a ball _inside _a Pokemon.

"A light ball always goes inside a Pokemon. I don't know what may have happened for Sparky to lose it, but the side affects change. In Sparky's case it caused her to have odd cheeks. If you want another light ball I can provide you with one, but it will change her cheek colour again."

Rina thought about it for a while before shaking her head at Rowan.

"No thanks. You mentioned it makes a Pikachu more powerful. I don't want Sparky to have to depend on a ball for her strength. I would rather her get stronger without it." Sparky nodded in agreement and Rina went back to her be-loved milkshake.

"I understand. You really are a true trainer. From what I saw today I think you two could become very strong. Your Pokemon are also courageous. I wish you the bets of luck in the rest of journey. Swellow and I will be off now. I have some research to do on an egg."

He stood up and headed for the counter. He payed for the drinks and waved to the girls. Rina and Sky waved back and thanked him for the drinks. They watched him talk to Flygon and Salamence. He seemed to be explaining to them where they want to go. Rina and Sky watched Rowan and Swellow fly off.

"He is really kind isn't he?" Sky said.

"Yeah, I'm glad he is always willing to help us. Let's get going then. We've missed too much travelling time!" Rina stood up and waited for Sky.

"You are always in so much of a rush! We only missed a day..." Sky drank the last of her apple juice and followed Rina out of the door.

"Okay guys, I'm guessing the Professor told you what to do? Let's go then." They jumped onto the usual flying Pokemon and were off in seconds.

* * * *

"Thank you so much for everything."

"See you soon."

Flygon and Salamence nodded and flew off. It took them about an hour and a half to get to Hearthome City, not including the many times Sky had to stop so she could control the sick feeling in her stomach. They headed in the direction which would take them to the next town.

"So Sky... talk to me about Nicholas."

Sky blushed at the sound of his name. She was hoping Rina would have forgotten that she was going to talk about him. Rina prodded her in the side and persuaded her to talk.

"Well... I don't really know, I don't like him. I just... admire him."

"Why? What is it about him that makes you 'admire' him?" Rina pushed her further to get more gossip out of her.

"He is such a good trainer. He cares about his Pokemon very much, and I know under all that arrogance he is truly a nice person."

"I guess he is. I have known him ages and he does care for his friends. He would do anything to help someone."

Sky didn't reply, she didn't really want to talk about it anymore. Rina respected this and smiled to herself. She would love for Sky to find happiness, and even though she didn't particularly like Nicholas, as long as Sky was happy she would deal with his arrogance. She doubted their relationship would go any further. Honestly, Rina had never thought about Nicholas being a nice person. But not everyone was completely bad like Terry.

'_Maybe I could try and be friendlier towards him so he and Sky can bond. Right, I've decided. I'm going to play matchmaker!' _Rina thought. She was soon grinning and she felt so excited.

"What are you so happy about?" Sky noticed the smile on her face and questioned her about it.

"Oh no reason."

Sky looked at her and then decided to drop the subject.

**A/N: Well this would have been up sooner but I came back from holiday on Saturday, and then something was wrong with FF. It wouldn't let me sign on...**

**On my poll, Manaphy had the most votes by the time I started writing, so Manaphy stars in this chapter!**

**Not much too say really...**

**Review? Please? (:**

**Sarah.**


	21. Authors Note Two

**A/N: Hiii everyone (:**

**Sorry, there is no update just yet. But I'm going to need some help from my readers :D**

**I've started playing Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Blue again and I had an excellent idea, and I want to involve my readers (:**

**I need you to submit up to TWO Pokemon (you can only submit one if you want). Sorry for the limit but if I have too many Pokemon it'll be confusing and stuff. It doesn't have to be one of the specific Pokemon from the game, (I mean the Pokemon you choose as you and your partner.) It can be any Pokemon other than legendaries. **

**Also, please don't submit a Raichu or Delcatty because I have already decided to use them since they are the Pokemon I'm playing with now in the game :D (Please avoid submitting Croagunk and Toxicroak because they scare me and they are the only Pokemon that I hate. –Shudder-.)**

**So start submitting up to two Pokemon that you would like to see, they will be in quite a few chapters. (Maybe.) :P**

**After I have about six or seven Pokemon in total I wont be accepting any others. If you would like them to have certain moves, or if they are shiny or different looking to the usual kind, or are holding an item ect please write that too.**

**Thank youuuuu :D**

**Sarah.**


	22. Protection Gone Wrong

"Sir, you wanted to see me?" A young woman with long brown hair, wearing a plain white suit spoke formally to her boss. A man in his mid forties sat in a large chair and had his back to her.

"Send in Team Thunder immediately."

"Yes sir."

The woman ran out of the room and went in search for the most reliable team of Pokemon in the company. Several minutes passed before the four Pokemon finally entered. The man spun round in the chair so he was facing them. The four high levelled Pokemon stood in a line and waited.

"Team Thunder, I have a very important assignment for you. Two teenage girls who are on their Pokemon journeys are very important. One of them is in a lot of danger and I need you four to protect her. Her name is Sky and not much is known about her. People are after her and she could come close to death soon. Do not let her be killed. As you know, the devices we gave you a few months ago allows you to talk human. This will let you communicate with the girls and tell them why you are here."

The Pokemon nodded in understanding and the leader spoke up.

"Sir, what if the girls do not trust us? Then what?"

"If that does happen then you have to show them that they can trust you. Natalie will drop you off at their current location. Good luck and stay safe."

* * * *

Rina and Sky were currently on route 212 and were about a day away from Pastoria City. Rina had thought of many ways to get Sky and Nicholas together – the idea of matchmaking made her all giddy and hyped up. Sparky's ears suddenly twitched and she jumped off of Rina's shoulder and onto the floor.

"Pika~" She went into a defensive stance and Rina gave her a questioning look.

"What's up Sparky?"

Rina's question was answered as four Pokemon emerged from the bushes and approached them. Sparky stood up normally and sensed these Pokemon had no bad intentions.

"Hey Rina look. It's a Raichu, Delcatty, Croconaw and Togetic!"

The four Pokemon stood in front of the girls and smiled. Rina and Sky remained quiet. Minutes passed by as no one said anything. Both sides were waiting for someone to talk. Eventually the Croconaw got impatient.

"Oh for Mew's sake. I'll start then shall I?"

"Ken calm down." The Togetic spoke with a soft voice.

"You... just _spoke_?!" Rina began ranting to Sky about talking Pokemon and made Sky pinch her – in which she did and Rina discovered she was still awake.

"Calm down. Yes we can speak. We have these special devices made by our boss. Allow me to explain. We are known as Team Thunder and we have been sent to protect her," Raichu pointed at the confused blonde. "Apparently you are being hunted or something like that."

"Well this is certainly weird. It's true I am being "hunted". But how do we know you abnormal talking Pokemon are on our side?"

"Oh great... well, I have no clue how I am supposed to convince you." Raichu shook his head and wished someone would help him out.

"How about we start by introducing ourselves? That's Lightning, he is the leader," Delcatty gestured towards to the Raichu. "That's Ken the Croconaw, Lily the Togetic and me. Hikari." Hikari the Delcatty also spoke with a calm gentle voice.

Suddenly, three Fearow made them selves known by squawking loudly. They swooped down and seemed ready to unleash attacks on the group. Team Thunder turned to face them.

"I guess this is the first part of the attack. Everyone, we must not let anyone get injured." Lightning ordered his team to prepare for battle. The largest Fearow swooped down on Lightning, using a Drill Peck. Lightning leapt forward and used a Shock Wave. The rest of the team began fighting. Hikari and Ken teamed up and used Ice beam, Lily kept on using Aerial Ace to counter the Fearow's own Aerial Ace.

Rina and Sky watched in awe at the battle going on. They worked out that these Pokemon really _were _here to protect them. They also realised Team Elemental must be planning to send some dangerous Pokemon in order to put Sky's life in danger. Sparky decided she wanted to help out and joined Lightning.

Meanwhile Lily was becoming tired, and she got hit a few times by Aerial Ace. Ken noticed this and saw his crush getting attacked.

"Lily!" He ran in front of her and slammed his tail into the Fearow. He then used Hydro Pump to finish it of.

The Fearow retreated because they were badly hurt. Team Thunder gathered together and crowded around the fallen Togetic. Team Thunder cared very much for each other and would stay by Lily's side. Rina and Sky walked up to them and crouched down. Sky took a potion out of her bag and sprayed it on Lily.

"Thank you everyone. We now know you mean well." Sky smiled at them and rubbed Lily's head.

"Thank you for trusting us. We will not leave your side until you're safe." Lightning smiled back and shook hands with Sparky.

A flash of light came from Rina's Poke belt and Ralts emerged. His eyes glistened at the sight of Ken.

"_**Omygosh. You are so**__**big and strong! I **_**admire **_**you!" **_Ralts grabbed him into a hug. Lily cooed over the baby Pokemon while Ken looked agitated.

"Oh joy. Not only is he a baby, but he is also a Croconaw fan. What a fantastic day." Ken commented sarcastically.

"_**Come and play with me!" **_Ralts begged. Ken glared at him and lost his temper.

"You should consider backing off kid before things turn ugly. Me and you are not friends okay? I will not play with you, and you will not hug me ever again."

Ralts' eyes started to water and Rina was about to shout at Ken for upsetting her youngest Pokemon, but Lily beat her to it.

"Oi, crocodile. Don't ever shout at him again! Meanie." Lily patted Ralts on the head and started making funny faces at him to make him laugh – which he did.

"Sorry..." Ken grumbled.

Rina and Sky blinked at the events that just unfolded and were lost for words. Hikari was the one to speak next.

"So, I guess we should introduce ourselves properly." Lightning beamed at the idea.

"What a great idea Hikari! Let's go." The Pokemon (including Sparky) marched ahead and begun chattering amongst them selves. Rina recalled Ralts and put his Pokeball back safely on her Poke belt.

"I guess we should follow them. We will be able to learn a bit more about them and why exactly they want to help you." Sky nodded in agreement and they hurried after the Pokemon.

* * * *

The girls plus the Pokemon sat on a grassy field in a circle. Since Team Thunder had come it seemed as if they had all knew each other for a long time. Like they were old friends. Rina and Sky actually enjoyed their company and Lily certainly kept them amused. She was the youngest and still quite childish. She questioned Rina about the clouds, and asked what they would feel like. Rina had played along with her and made silly comments about them feeling like candy floss.

"I will go first then." Lightning – being the leader – seemed to always be in charge, and no one was bothered by this. "When I was still a little Pichu I had a friend. This friend was also my trainer; she always loved me best out of all her Pokemon. She treated me like a queen," Lightning chuckled. "It was as if I was the best thing that ever happened to her. But one day she came across a cute little Shinx and decided he was a better electric type than me. She destroyed my Pokeball and abandoned me." Lightning showed no emotion and he never stuttered. He had probably told this story many times before. "I wandered around alone. I was helpless! Then I came across a Skitty who was being harassed by some Marill. I saved the Skitty and we became friends and decided to join a rescue team."

"The Skitty was Hikari, right?"

"Correct. From that day on we have been in separable."

"That's such a sad story. I despise people who hurt Pokemon." Sky became angered at the thought of this lovely, brave Raichu being left alone.

"I'm going to tell my story now! It's about how I met Lightning and Hikari." Ken piped up. He loved the attention and this was the perfect time to get it. "I was still a Totodile and I remember it very well. I had become separated from my trainer who was a bit ditzy. He was only a kid and I was his first Pokemon, he had no clue what he was meant to do. After we became separated I wasn't too bothered by it really. I ended up in a town miles away from where I last saw my trainer. I started causing havoc and messed up the town. Lightning and Hikari came along and them being a rescue team meant they convinced me to join them. I had nothing better to do so I accepted."

Rina and Sky nodded and set their gaze onto Lily, who was giddy. She was bouncing around waiting for her turn to speak. Ken nodded at her and she realized he was finished.

"My go! Well I don't remember much so I'm going to tell you what this lot have told me. Apparently they found me in a forest when I was just an egg! Hikari is quite smart so she came to the conclusion that I got separated. That is one thing me and Ken have in common; we both got separated from someone important. Well, Ken wasn't too bothered, but back to the story! Hikari has always loved baby Pokemon so she couldn't bring herself to leave me. They all stayed by my side until I hatched and they were all I had so I joined them as well." She finished with a proud smile.

"That is one interesting story." Rina exclaimed, and both Sky and Sparky nodded in agreement.

"What I want to know is why you have been sent to protect me. Who sent you? Am I in _that _much danger?" Sky directed these questions towards Lightning because she guessed he would have the best answer.

Lightning thought his answer over for a bit. His boss had never mentioned anything about if he should answer these types of questions. Was she allowed to know? He glanced at Hikari for help and she nodded.

"Well, our boss sent us. He claimed you are very important and you cannot die no matter what. I don't think I can reveal our boss' identity. Sky, I don't want to worry you but according to our boss you _are _in danger. What is the reason for you being wanted so badly by those people?"

Sky sighed and Rina put her hand on Sky's shoulder. Sky had never liked explaining the reason because it bought back so many memories.

The things that happened to her while she was in Kanto.

That night back in Jubilife City where she nearly died.

But most importantly; Mew's safety.

"I have a deep connection with Mew. We are very good friends and Team Elemental – the people after me – want Mew. Because I am close friends with Mew I am the only way they can get Mew. They would do anything for that Pokemon."

Lightning nodded and everyone stayed quiet for a while. They still sat in a circle and Lightning seemed deep in thought. After choosing his words wisely he spoke up.

"So Ken, aren't you going to tell our new friends about your huge crush on Lily?" He smirked as Ken's eyes became wide. Everyone giggled –including Lily- and said how cute that was. Lily stared at Ken with a smile plastered on her face.

"And aren't you going to tell them about your thing for Hikari?!" Ken fired back which caught Lightning off-guard. He went red in the face and Hikari looked surprised. Lightning looked around at Rina and Sky who seems to be enjoying the scene.

"Y-you like me?" Hikari whispered. Different emotions ran through her. She thought they were just best friends, but she had always had feelings for him. Of course she tried her best not to show these feelings and kept it to herself. She told Lily about it and she promised to keep quiet. Lightning could feel everyone's eyes on him.

He didn't reply. Instead he stormed up to Ken and slapped him in the face with his tail, then grinned. Ken fell back and looked shocked. He then swung his own tail round and it connected with Lightning's cheek. This assault carried on for some time.

"Shouldn't someone stop them before it turns nasty?" Sky asked.

"No, it happens all the time." Lily giggled.

'_These next few days are going to be pretty hectic...' _Rina thought.

After a while the fight stopped and they calmed down. Sparky had become quite close to Lightning as they were from the same family. Rina found out that Pikachu's were able to learn Dig, after seeing Lightning show off his moves. They wondered off somewhere so Lighting could attempt to teach Sparky the move. Hikari told them that if anything happened she would let them know by using an attack. It must of been something they do a lot. Lily and Hikari started a conversation with Rina and Sky while Ken sat and listened. He wasn't rude, just not as sociable as the others.

"So, are you two close friends then?" Hikari asked, showing full interest in the people they were out to protect.

"Yeah we are. We haven't known each other for that long, and the age difference doesn't change anything. I guess we just get along so well, and Sky is like a little sister to me." Rina smiled at Sky; who smiled back.

Lily suddenly stood up and looked around. Ken looked at her and asked what was wrong. Hikari stood up and approached Lily – who was looking around curiously. Rina and Sky exchanged confused looks and also stood up.

"Someone's coming. They are close. They have a bad purpose." The way Lily said this was as if she had said it many times before.

"Who's coming?" Sky asked. Lily turned to face her and said she didn't know. Ken then explained that Lily was able to sense people and if they had a good or bad aura. It was quite unusual for a Togetic to have this ability.

"Warn the others." Lily commanded. Hikari nodded and shot an Ice Beam into the air. The sudden change in Lily was quite surprising. Earlier on she was a happy go lucky Pokemon and now she was taking charge and being all serious.

* * * *

"Sparky, did you see that? That was a warning from Hikari. Let's hurry back, something isn't right, I just know it."

Sparky nodded and hurried off after the Raichu who was already making his way back to the others. Lightning didn't show it, but he was afraid. He knew danger would come, but not this soon. He wasn't ready. He shouldn't have left them. Now his best friends and human friends could be in trouble and he wasn't there to help.

'_If anything happens to Sky, I would feel so guilty. We aren't that far away so hopefully we will get there in time.' _

It didn't take long for Lightning and Sparky to arrive back to where everyone else was, and when he got there he was faced with one of his worst nightmares. Rina and Sky were backed against a tree and Lily, Hikari and Ken were lying on the ground. Lightning ran up to them while Sparky joined Rina and Sky. When Lightning took a closer look he realised his friends were just sleeping, and that is when he saw the enemy.

A Carnivine stood a few feet away with Team Elemental's group behind it. Green powder glistened on the bodies of the sleeping Pokemon.

"Sleep powder." Lightning muttered.

"So there is another Pokemon protecting you, Sky? A Raichu... It looks quite tough but nothing I can't handle."

"Leave these girls alone! They don't deserve to be harassed constantly by low-life's."

"You're feisty one aren't you? And I see you are capable of talking human language. You could be useful to us, but we are here for Sky. She has escaped us many times before but this time she will not get away!"

Terry pulled out two more Pokeballs and released a Rhyperior and a Skuntank. They stood next to Carnivine and Lightning jumped back next to Sparky. Rina and Sky pulled out there Pokeballs and threw them. Staravia, Flareon, Misdreavus and Marill joined the two electric types and the Pokemon began to battle.

Staravia and Flareon aimed there attacks at Carnivine since they had the best attacks to defeat him. Terry's Pokemon were always so strong so Carnivine had no trouble blocking the attacks and striking back. Misdreavus and Marill worked together to take down Rhyperior, with Misdreavus distracting it while Marill shot surprise Bubble beams at it. Lastly, Sparky and Lightning teamed up against Skuntank. Hikari, Lily and Ken were still fast asleep and it seemed as if the Sleep Powder was very effective as it looked like they wouldn't be waking up anytime soon. Eventually Marill and Staravia were knocked out, and not long after Misdreavus and Flareon were too tired to carry on.

They were returned to their Pokeballs and Rina and Sky didn't want to risk their other Pokemon being hurt. They might need them later on. Terry was now at a major advantage as all of his Pokemon were fighting Sparky and Lightning.

"Enough of this, this is child's play." He took two Pokeballs in hand and returned Rhyperior and told Carnivine to stay back.

"What's he up to now?!" Rina said.

"Skuntank use Poison Gas." Before anyone could react Skuntank released a gas which smelt like rotten eggs. Team Elemental and Carnivine stood back so they wouldn't smell the bad stench. Sparky and Lightning dropped to the floor and covered their noses, as did Rina and Sky.

"Now Carnivine use Vine Whip to hold the brown haired girl and the two Pokemon." Carnivine leaped into action and wrapped its vines around everyone but Sky. Sky looked on in horror as her friends struggled to get away. She tried to help Rina break free but the smell was too much and couldn't take her hands away from her nose.

Carnivine then bought its hostages over to Terry, who then tied them up and his group led them off to the helicopter. Skuntank stopped using its gas and followed after them. Sky yelled Rina's name over and over but it was no use. She was too weak to save them, that gas not only smelt but it made anyone who smell it extremely weak.

"I d-don't understand... You want me not them. Let them go, p-please." Sky was on her knees, coughing and spluttering while pleading with her enemy. Terry said nothing but snickered and walked off and to the helicopter, where he boarded it and they took off.

Sky cried into her hands and felt so useless. So what if the gas made her weak? Rina would have done anything to make sure her friends were safe, why couldn't she have been braver? She just watched as evil idiots took away her friends. She heard movements and looked up to see Hikari, Lily and Ken waking up.

They became fully awake when they saw Sky kneeling in mud, crying. Sky gave them a weak smile and they approached her.

"Sky, why are you crying? What happened? Where is Rina?" Hikari asked, her voice full of concern.

Sky tried to talk but her throat became dry and she couldn't find the right words. She burst out crying again and Lily helped her to her feet. Hikari – being wise – knew something terrible had happened. Rina had disappeared, and she knew Lightning and Sparky would have returned after seeing her Ice Beam. Lightning always notices it because it is bright. But even they weren't here.

"There is a cave around here and I'm pretty sure it's empty because it is only small. Let's go there and you can tell us what happened." Hikari led the way and prayed that nothing really bad had happened. All she remembered was seeing strange men and feeling drowsy.

* * * *

Sky sat against the wall of the cave with Vulpix cuddled up to her protectively. Hikari, Lily and Ken sat in a semi circle and looked at her carefully. A fire lit by Vulpix brightened up the cave and it flickered every now and again. Sky told the story and included every single detail, all though she was frequently interrupted by them asking questions about various things. Once she was done Ken assured her it wasn't her fault. Ken then used his Hydro Pump – but not as powerful – to clean the mud off of Sky's knees and legs.

"So what are we going to do? We have no idea where they have gone!" Lily said frantically.

"That's not true. Remember, our boss is constantly tracking their every move. First thing tomorrow we will head out to our headquarters and locate them." Everyone listened and agreed to Hikari's plan.

"Umm, Sky? I don't mean to sound rude but, do you have any food? I'm starving!" Ken asked shyly. He didn't want to come across as rude, but he relaxed when Sky giggled and took some Pokemon food out of her bag, along with a sand which for her.

She fed the Pokemon first and then started on her own food. She looked outside and noticed it was getting dark. Once they were finished eating they curled up and got comfortable. Vulpix curled up to Sky so she could keep her warm. Tomorrow was going to be a busy day and she promised herself she would find her friends.

* * * *

"Sir, I don't understand! Why didn't we take Sky? Why did we take this lot?" The woman motioned towards the camera which showed Rina, Sparky and Lightning in a small box room, fast asleep.

Terry sighed and glared at her. He had lost count of the amount of times members of his group had asked him that same question.

"For the last time, we took them as hostages! Obviously Sky and those other Pokemon will search for us and want to be heroes. That is also why we made our hideout easier to find this time. Once they get here we will put our ultimate plan into action. This plan will attract not only Sky, but Mew as well!" He laughed and felt proud of himself. This truly was the best plan he had ever thought of.

**A/N: I am so sorry for the long wait but I've been SO busy! First of all I had trouble planning at least half of this chapter. Then recently I wasn't on my laptop for about five days because I went to Disneyland Paris! It was so awesome :D**

**Also, I got a budgie yesterday called Stitch. He is a baby so I'm going to spending a lot of time with him so I can teach him to talk (hopefully.) Well this chapter was longer than the rest I think, so that has made up for the long wait **

**I apologize to the people who submitted Pokemon and they didn't appear. This is because most of you sent in baby Pokemon (I know, I should of told you not too. Sorry.) so Lily and Ken rightfully belong to Autumnchronicles and Lightning and Hikari are my OC's. I have a little of the next chapter planned in my head but not a lot so it could be another long wait. Sorry!**

**This is getting really long so I'll end it now. Review please!**

**Sarah x **


	23. Protection With A Twist

**A/N: **

**Sparky: What's this? An update!?**

**Me: Yes, yes it is. I am so sorry for taking months to update! I had serious writers block and I was trying to catch up on all my coursework since I am now in year11 it's getting pretty hard.**

**I'm putting the a/n at the start of this chapter for a reason. First of all prepare for me abusing my characters ;D Well, Sky that is. She gets... oh I won't say anything that will ruin it. Also, you'll see a different side to Rina. Also, prepare for a pretty crap kissing scene...**

**Sparky: Shut up before you reveal stuffs! **

**Me: Sorry... on with the story!**

The sunlight slowly crept into the cave and made four still bodies start to stir. Sky opened her eyes and blinked, then realising just how uncomfortable she had been last night. She rubbed the back of her neck and got to her feet. The three Pokemon began to wake up one after the other until everyone was standing.

"So, today we start our journey and rescue Rina, Sparky and Lightning. We will lead the way to our team base to get information on Team Elemental's location. Let's go team!" Hikari started to make her way to the entrance of the cave but stopped when Sky spoke.

"Hey, you obviously haven't thought this through! How are we going to walk for hours searching for bad guys on an empty stomach? It's logical to have breakfast first." Sky was young, but sensible. She rummaged through her bag and pulled out some Pokemon food and a chicken sandwich that she had saved just in case. The Pokemon gathered round and admitted she was right. Ten minutes later the group were done eating and Sky had finished putting her stuff away. They set off out of the cave with Hikari leading the way.

The group had been walking for just over forty minutes when Hikari stopped in front of a tall building. It was white and looked like it had at least eight floors. Sky was so lost in her thoughts during the walk that she was surprised they were already here. It seemed like she had only left the cave several minutes ago. They entered and Sky was amazed. Different kinds of Pokemon – some she had never seen before – filled the lobby and they was even a reception by the far wall. People who were all wearing the same uniform hurried around, seemingly helping the Pokemon in anyway possible.

"Well Sky, this is it. We will have to go to the reception to check you in and tell them you are with us."

"Why do I have to check in?" Sky asked.

"They might kill you." Ken replied with a bored tone. Sky shot a look of surprise at Hikari and Lily, but they assured her he was only joking.

Hikari once again led the way as they approached the reception. After being checked in the group headed up to the eighth floor and entered the room at the end of the corridor.

"Team Thunder! Good to see you and I see you brought the girl with you. Hang on, where is Lightning?"

"Yeah, we have a slight problem sir. You see, Team Elemental took Rina, Sparky and Lightning. We came here so we could ask you for help. We need to locate them." Hikari said.

"Well you are in luck. We have been keeping track of them and it seems they have made their hide out an obvious place. I'm sure they done this on purpose so you could easily locate them. One things for sure, they have something planned."

"Well I suppose that is good news. Tell us where they are so we can get there and save everyone." Ken said.

The leader explained to them how to get there from here, and it was actually quite simple. They weren't too far away and there was no way they could get lost. Sky took in every direction and remembered it as best as she could.

"Thank you for your help sir! We'll be going now, bye!" Lily said as she fluttered around.

"Be sure to rescue them. Oh and could I please speak to Sky alone?"

"Sure thing, let's go you guys. Sky, we'll wait outside." Hikari led Lily and Ken outside, but they stayed near the door so they could attempt to eavesdrop.

"Sky, listen carefully. I want you to know something _very _big is being planned by them. I had a couple of Pokemon do some snooping around and they found out so very vital information. It seems when you go to their hideout, someone will appear. I don't know who it is but be careful. I hope this helped. Oh and one more thing, trust Team Thunder with your life." With that he spun round in his chair so he had his back to Sky.

Sky remained silent as she headed for the door. When she opened it the three nosey Pokemon fell into the room in a heap. They laughed awkwardly and stood up, brushing down their fur. Sky giggled at them but didn't laugh for long, because she was too busy thinking over the situation she was in. What was going to be waiting for her? The members of Team Thunder sensed her sadness and felt bad for her. They hurried out of the door and soon found themselves out of the building.

"So did you guys hear?" Sky already knew the answer but she wanted to double check. Hikari gave her a sympathetic look and nodded. Sky sighed and hung her head slightly.

"But don't worry. We will be there fighting with you and soon enough Rina, Sparky and Lightning will be with us. Now let's get going and get this whole thing over and done with." Lily's childishness was replaced by these heart warming words. Sky nodded and they made their way down the path leading to the left.

* * * *

It was true, it actually didn't take them long to reach their destination. Even though they stopped once because Sky had needed to rest, they found themselves outside of a smallish building. It had the letter "E" placed right in the middle.

'_They really did want to make their "hiding" place obvious...' _Sky thought.

"Well let's go. We will lead the way, in case we get jumped or something we can defend you." Ken said.

"Hang on, I think now would be a good time to let my Pokemon get some training." She pulled out her Pokeballs and released all her Pokemon. They had already met Team Thunder so there was no need for introductions. They were also aware on the situation with Rina and Sparky.

"Okay guys listen up. We're about to face Team Elemental, again, and I need you lot to walk behind me and watch my back. Team Thunder will go in front. If you spot any signs of danger don't hold back. Just attack." Her Pokemon nodded and they all entered the building, with Sky being in the middle of them all.

The building had several cameras facing towards the large group, which made Sky feel awkward knowing she was being watched. It was just one straight corridor with a couple of rooms on the sides and one room right at the end. Several boxes were lying around and Sky instantly felt like someone else was there.

"Guys, I think someone is here. Keep an eye out." Sky whispered just loud enough for the Pokemon to hear. They straightened up and looked around, walking a few more steps every minute or so. They weren't even half way down the corridor when they were suddenly ambushed by a few young boys. To Sky it looked like they were just young kids doing Terry's dirty work.

"Eek!" Sky yelped and jumped back as the two boys around the age of eleven released their Pokemon. The first boy – who was a bit taller – released a Turtwig and Bidoof, while the smaller boy released a Chimchar.

Sky's Vulpix was the first to join in the fight, and Misdreavus, Drifloon and Marill soon joined. Vulpix barked at Sky a few times and then continued holding off the attacking Pokemon. The boy's didn't communicate with Sky as they were concentrating on the fight.

"Vulpix said to keep going and they will hold them off! Come on Sky!" Hikari let Sky know what her Vulpix had said to her and then Sky willingly continued on. She didn't feel too comfortable with leaving her Pokemon behind, anything could happen to them.

When they came to the first room Ken barged in and yelled "Come on! Let's have a fight right here, right now!" Only to find the room was empty. He growled and rushed to the second room, which was just as empty as the first one. All that was left was the room right at the end. Sky was pretty sure that's where she would be me by a room full of people, and she knew Team Thunder were thinking the same.

Lily thought things through and decided the best way to get in there was for her to use Psychic on the door so she could open it. Everyone took a huge step back as she opened the door. When it was open and no-one jumped out on them they decided to enter. It was a fairly large room and was well lit up compared to the corridor and the other rooms. The first thing that caught Sky's eye was Rina, sitting against a wall, tied up. Sparky and Lightning on either side of her in cages.

"Rina!" Sky ran a few steps towards her but Rina stopped her by telling her to help Mew first. Sky obliged and scanned the rest of the room.

Wait, did Rina just say _Mew_?!

Terry stood in the centre of the room, holding in his hands his prized possession. His new captured Pokemon. Mew was squirming helplessly but Terry just tightened his grip. If Mew dared to attack him it would surely regret it. Sky's Pokemon soon joined them and rushed over to the captured girl and the two electric Pokemon. Sky was speechless; her eyes were fixed on the squirming cat like Pokemon. She didn't even notice right away that Hikari, Ken and Lily were standing next to her.

'_It's my entire fault. Mew sensed danger and came here from Kanto. She knew I was going to walk right into a trap and now look at her.' _

"Sky, you've really got yourself in a terrible situation haven't you? As soon as Mew appeared I was more than ready to capture her." He violently threw her in a cage that was on the floor and locked it. He then clicked his fingers and his men appeared and dragged over Rina, Sparky and Lightning. Sky's Pokemon growled and joined Sky.

"Now, I have decided that these two aren't very threatening." He kicked the cages that held Sparky and Lightning with such force that they slid a few feet away from Sky. She rushed over and opened the cages, where Lightning had a short but sweet reunion with his fellow team mates.

"Sky be careful, he wouldn't just let us go for no reason." Lightning warned.

"Aha, you are quite the smart Raichu aren't you? Now Sky listen up, you may have one of these two back."

'_Why does he always do this? Force me to make bizarre decisions such as this one.'_

"I hate you! How can you be so cruel!" Sky ran up to him and punched him in the stomach, but it didn't have much of an affect on him as she simply smirked and looked down at her. He lifted his hand up to slap her, but was pushed back by a series of attacks coming from Sky's Pokemon, Sparky and Team Thunder. He screamed as he was forced back. Sky knelt down on the floor and tears formed at the corner's of her eyes.

Terry's men rushed over to him and checked him over but he merely slapped away their hands. He was red in the face and Sky wasn't sure if it was entirely because he was angry, or if he was also embarrassed.

"That's it! You have gone too far now. Take Rina into the other room and _kill _her. We must make Sky suffer by watching her friend's go down one by one." Rina and Sky gasped as his men grabbed Rina's arms and dragged her across the room.

"Sky! Sparky!" Rina flailed about and began crying. She didn't know what to make of this. Was she really going to die or was Terry bluffing? Sparky rushed over to Rina and bit down on one of the men's legs. He winced but managed to kick Sparky, making her roll backwards on the floor helplessly. Lightning ran over to Sparky and tended to her while Hikari, Ken and Lily attempted to stop Terry's men from taking Rina. Sky watched as her friends got injured and stood firmly on the same spot. She didn't know what to do, but she didn't want to stand around doing nothing to help. Her Pokemon stood with her and Vulpix nudged her leg.

As the tug of war (with Rina being the one getting pulled around) continued, a small squeak was heard. Sky's head snapped in the direction and saw Mew being handled roughly by Terry. Mew wasn't a tough Pokemon so she didn't attempt to fight back. Looking back and forth at Rina and Team Thunder struggling, Sparky injured, and Mew being grabbed angered Sky. Her friends were going through so much all because of her.

"Stop..." she whispered. No one heard her so she repeated the word a little bit louder. Her voice didn't reach anyone's ears so she shouted.

"STOP!!" Surprisingly everyone in the room stopped what they were doing and set their gaze on Sky.

"Stop it. Leave them all alone; they have done nothing to you. If _anyone _gets killed that person will be _me_!" As she spoke these somewhat brave words tears streamed down her face. Before she knew it Rina was dropped on the floor and Mew was put in a cage. In a matter of seconds Sky was being grabbed and locked in a room. She was going to die.

* * * *

In a blink of an eye Rina and the Pokemon had been chucked outside and Sky was somewhere in that building. Everything had happened so fast and Rina was entirely sure if this whole thing was real or just a dream. Surely Terry wouldn't go as far as killing someone, would he? Well one thing Rina knew was that sitting around doing nothing would get them no where.

"Okay guys listen up! What are we still doing sitting here? We need to barge in there and get Sky! With everyone's help this will be easy!" Rina jumped up and pumped her fist into the air, and shouted "Who's with me?!"

One by one every Pokemon in the group (including Mew) joined in the cheers. Rina felt silly for feeling so worried, surely Terry was bluffing. If he killed someone he would get sent to prison, and if he was in prison he wouldn't be able to fulfil his demonic plans (whatever they were.)

"Fancy seeing you he-Woah! Is that a Mew?!" Rina spun round on her heels only to see Nicholas gaping at the giggling Mew.

"You always seem to turn up when we're in trouble..." She muttered. Nicholas' face turned serious and he seemingly put the thoughts about Mew at the back of his head.

"What kind of trouble? What is it Rina?" Rina blinked at him and couldn't believe what she was seeing and hearing.

'_He is actually concerned?'_

"I'll cut a long story short. Team Elemental decided to show up again. They kidnapped me, Sparky and Lightning," she motioned towards Raichu, "then Sky and the rest of the gang found us, Sky got captured, we kind of rescued Mew from them and now we are figuring out how to save Sky since could die any minute now."

Nicholas nodded and stared long and hard at Rina, as she made conversation with the Pokemon. He didn't even question her when he heard Lightning talk. He was snapped out of his thoughts when Rina began heading towards the door, the Pokemon following behind her, except for Sparky who was walking in front of her.

"Where are you going? Didn't you mention Sky was going to get _killed_?" He walked towards Rina and she turned round so they were face to face.

"Exactly, she is my best friend. Team Elemental probably wouldn't have the guts to kill anyone. Dangerous or not I'm going in there to save Sky."

"I'm coming with you! I can't stand back and watch as you and this amazingly large group of Pokemon storm in there." Rina remained quiet as Nicholas joined her, both of them entering the building together.

When they entered they were once again ambushed. This time by a woman who was wearing the standard uniform. She took a Pokeball in hand and glared at Rina and Nicholas with her icy blue eyes.

"What do you think you are doing creeping around? Terry said he doesn't want intruders while he carry's out his plans. Hey wait. You're the one he warned me about! Go Bibarel." She released her beaver Pokemon and Sparky stepped forward. She nodded to Rina, showing she was going to be okay battling alone. Rina nodded back and they carried on. The woman tried to grab Rina's arm but Sparky shocked her and the woman had no choice but to let them go.

* * * *

Hearing his fellow companion shout a man quickly pressed a red button, which made loud siren noises. It was alerting everyone else that there were intruders. Red lights flashed throughout the whole building. Satisfied, he then ran out of the room to hunt down the intruders and deal with them personally.

* * * *

The large group ran down the corridor but came face to face with seven members of Team Elemental. They were all holding a Pokeball and shouting various rude things at the two teenagers. Throwing their Pokeballs, the group came face to face with a Prinplup, Vespiquen, Mothim, Floatzel, Cherrim and a Ambipom. Rina commanded Sky's Pokemon and Team Thunder to attack, while Nicholas crept pass and carried on the search for Sky.

'_Why am I even helping them? Oh yeah, because of her...I'm only doing this for her.'_

Running through the extremely long corridor, Nicholas could only think about one thing. That one thing was getting her out of here safely. Since the moment he had laid eyes on her he instantly felt something. Like some kind of connection. He never spoke to her much and he certainly wasn't kind to her, he wanted to look cool. But he secretly had a huge crush on her.

Coming to a door, he didn't take any care in opening it. He barged in and was met by Sky. She was sitting in the corner hugging her knees. She was happy to see him as she knew he was here to help. What else would he be here for?

"Nicholas! What are you doing here?" Sky jumped up and beamed at him.

"I was just at the right place at the right time. Come on, Rina is back there holding off a _lot _of the members of this twisted group. Where is the guy you lot are so worried about?" He put his head out of the door and looked up and down the corridor, looking for any signs of Team Elemental people.

"Terry? I don't quite know. He was only bluffing when he threatened to kill me."

Sky stared at his concerned face as he carried on looking down the corridor.

'_Is he concerned for me? I might as well get this over and done with. We're alone so no-one will see this. Hopefully.' _

Sky shuffled over to Nicholas and took hold of his arm, turning him around they were face to face. He raised his eyebrow at her as she stared dreamily into his eyes.

She tip-toed and leaned closer while closing her eyes in the process. She blushed as her heart skipped a beat. She was really going to do it. Her first kiss. They were inches apart and she could feel his hot breath on her. Their lips were about to meet when he suddenly pushed her away gently.

"Nicholas...?" She squeaked.

"Sky... if you were about to do what I think you was then I am really sorry. I just don't see you like that. You see, I like Rina."

Her heart skipped a beat then shattered. She just got rejected by a boy who liked her best friend...

She wanted the ground to open up beneath her and suck her in. She felt so stupid! She thought the concerned look was for her, but he was actually worried about Rina. Not her. He felt _nothing _for her, but he felt a lot for her best friend.

"I'm really sorry. Come on lets go." He led the way out of the room.

The way he apologised sounded so sincere, but that wouldn't mend her heart. She felt like breaking down, she had never been rejected before. The reason for this was she never once had the courage to confront the few boys she had fallen for. But she found the courage to tell Nicholas in her own way, and she was rejected. Walking back down the corridor in silence a scream pierced through their ears.

"Rina!"

Nicholas ran ahead and Sky soon followed. When they got to the point where Nicholas left Rina they saw that the people Rina was battling had probably fled, but now she was up against none other than Terry. The Pokemon were worn out and were only able to watch. Terry had Rina backed against the wall and had his teeth gritted.

Before he could do anything more to scare or harm Rina, Nicholas pulled back his fist and gave Terry a swift punch to his left cheek. Terry knelt down on the floor and held his throbbing cheek. While no-one was around to stop them, the group ran out of the building.

Once outside and about ten minutes or so away from the building, the group collapsed on the floor exhausted. Gasping for breath, Sky returned her Pokemon and only Team Thunder were left.

"Wait! Sparky... she is still in there!" Rina jumped to her feet to run back but Nicholas stopped her and said he'd go back and get her.

It took a few more minutes for everyone to get their breath back and get comfortable on the grass they were sitting on. That's when Sky suddenly burst in tears.

"Sky, what's wrong??" Rina shuffled over and put her arm around her. That's when Sky blurted out the whole story. She mentioned every little detail, from the moment he barged in to the part where they left the room. It took her a while to get the story out because she kept hiccupping, due to her sobbing. Team Thunder stayed silent through out the whole story. They were only Pokemon so what did they know about these kinds of things?? After Sky settled down Rina took this chance to talk.

"Sky, I'm sorry. I wasn't aware of how much you liked him, but I am now. He is a complete and utter jerk! Sky; believe me I don't feel the same way about him. Even if he does like me I would never like him back." Sky sniffed and looked at her friend. Rina was so kind to her, she was lucky to have her as a friend.

"Really? You really don't like him?"

"Don't be silly! I promise, I will never feel anything for him."

'_And to think I was going soft on him! When he gets back me and him are going to have words! And they won't be nice ones.'_

Minutes later Nicholas re appeared with Sparky running ahead of him and into Rina's arms. Luckily by now Sky had sorted out her face by re-applying her eye make up and making sure tear marks couldn't be seen on her cheeks.

"I found her sitting wandering around outside of the hideout." Nicholas laughed and sat down with them and acted as if nothing had happened. Rina thanked him but then remembered she had to speak with him. Glancing at Sky, Rina noticed she looked on edge and awkward. She was looking at the floor with her legs crossed. Well Rina couldn't blame her. She was sitting with her crush who had cold heartedly rejected her and confessed his love to her for her best friend!

"Sky, how about you head back to that Pokemon Centre that wasn't too far from here and book me and you a room? It's not far from here, I need to talk with Nicholas for a while. I won't be long and I will meet you back there." Sky looked unsure but she obliged anyway and led Team Thunder and Sparky back to the Pokemon Centre that was just off the path.

Nicholas gave her a questioning look and she glared at him.

"I know what you did to Sky. How could you? She really liked you and you just-"She was cut off because she was suddenly unable to speak. Rina's heart skipped a beat as she came to realise why.

Nicholas was kissing her.

She didn't react at first but after a while she found herself kissing him back. The kiss wasn't passionate and went no further than just a simple kiss. But why was she kissing him back?! She wasn't supposed to like him! She was supposed to be defending Sky and putting him straight.

But here she was, sitting on the grass sitting kissing her rival and her best friend's crush. Eventually Nicholas went a step further and wrapped his arms around her small waist. Without thinking, Rina wrapped her own arms around his neck. The wind blew her hair gently and a few petals of off the pink flowers blew past them. It looked so romantic but it wasn't right. The kiss lasted no more than seven seconds but it seemed to go on forever.

When Nicholas pulled away they stared into each other's eyes and said nothing. He then stood up and held out his hand for Rina, which she took and he helped her up.

"I like you Rina, I like you a lot." With that he walked off and she watched him. Thoughts ran through her head and all she admitted to herself that she actually liked it. She enjoyed a short, sweet kiss with a boy she never thought she would kiss. But then a different thought came to mind.

She recalled what she had said to Sky a few minutes before Sparky and Nicholas came back.

"_Don't be silly! I promise, I will never feel anything for him."_

She _promised_! She promised her friend that she would never feel anything for him, and she had broken that promise. How could she face her friend now? Knowing that her _best friend _had tried to kiss him that same day and failed miserably. But now she was the one who had kissed him. Behind her back, and she had honestly enjoyed that kiss. It was no where near passionate but it would do.

Rina slowly trudged in the direction of the Pokemon Centre and she was the one now who felt like breaking down on the spot. She couldn't begin to imagine how Sky would feel if she found out. There was just no where Rina would tell her.

At least not right now anyway.


	24. Farewell

Farewell.

The walk back was a silent one. Not just because Rina was alone but also because there was no background noise. Her lips still felt warm from the kiss. She stopped and looked up at the cloud-less sky. Why was her life so difficult? Why couldn't everything just be a bit more normal? She felt absolutely nothing for Nicholas so why did she kiss him and why did she like it??

Sighing, she carried on walking up the slight hill that lead to the Pokecenter where she would meet up with the others. Rina payed no attention to the Pokemon that she passed, she was just too busy thinking. What was she thinking about? Well, the one thing that was troubling her. How was she going to face Sky? She would have to put on a fake smile and act normal.

Her thoughts must have lasted a while because when she looked up she saw the Pokecenter a few feet away. Walking up to the automatic doors, Rina took a deep breath and entered. The Pokecenter was only small since it was meant for a quick stop, so not many people were around. Immediately spotting the large group of Pokemon and one human, Rina forced a smile on her face and approached them.

"Hey Rina! How was it?"

Damn it. That dreaded question came up. Rina was hoping to avoid it for as long as possible so she could have more chance of thinking up something. Looks like she'll have to think quicker.

"Oh you know. It was just the usual. Shouting, that kind of thing." _How lame Rina!_

"Oh, so he didn't mention me..?"

"Nope! Hey how about we go out for dinner? I figured Team Thunder would have to leave us soon, am I right?" She kept the fake smile on her face and Hikari was the one to notice her unusual peppiness.

"Yeah we do. Tonight actually. We need to get back before someone else needs our help." Lily replied for the group.

"Dinner sounds good if you're paying." Ken grinned, showing his sharp teeth.

"No thanks. I'm going up to our room, see you all later." Sky slowly walked off round the corner as everyone else looked on.

Rina sighed. The situation had really gotten Sky down. She must really like Nicholas, but he didn't feel the same way. How was Rina supposed to comfort her, knowing what she had done? Like Hikari, Sparky also noticed something wasn't right. She knew Rina all too well, and that meant she figured Rina was hiding something. She was never this cheerful even on her good days. Having dinner out? Did she even have enough money for that?? Hikari whispered something to Lightning and he nodded every few seconds.

"Right! Ken and Lily let's go and get some food from Nurse Joy for us and Rina. We can cheer her up with our classic jokes!" He grinned and carried on when they looked at him with confused faces. "Hikari and Rina need to talk and I'm guessing Sparky would want to go with them." After hearing this, Lightning led Ken and Lily off while Sparky took her place on Rina's shoulder.

"What was that all about..?" Rina asked no-one in particular. Since Sparky was unable to talk human, Hikari was the one to answer.

"Me and Sparky know something is up. Either you're hiding something or something is bothering you. You are way too cheerful Rina."

Rina sighed again for what seemed like the hundredth time. Of course _someone _would catch on but at least it wasn't Sky. Well at least Rina didn't think she suspected anything. Shaking her head Rina gestured for Hikari to follow her to the sofas where it was way more private. The last thing Rina wanted was for someone to hear what she was about to confess. The wrong person might over hear something, you never know.

'_Might as well tell someone. I can trust these two and maybe Hikari can offer me some advice.'_

"Hikari, Sparky. You can't tell anyone what I'm about to tell you." Sparky looked at her and shook her head, sighing. "Although there isn't much chance of Sparky telling someone..."

"Don't worry I'll keep my mouth shut." Hikari promised.

"I'll cut a long story short. Me and Nicholas kissed..." Rina confessed shamefully.

Both Pokemon stared at her with wide eyes. Now _that _was shocking. Sparky had never expected Rina to be that type of girl. She just seemed so innocent.

"Well that has shocked me. If I remember correctly Sky has a crush on him? And you kissed him? Well if you want my advice, I'd say you should tell Sky. You wouldn't want her to hear it from him now would you?"

Rina thought about that and realised she hadn't even given that much thought. What if Nicholas did tell Sky about their kiss? Sure, it would be hard to tell her but there was probably more chance of Sky reacting badly if she heard it from Nicholas. Seconds later Team Thunder and Sky appeared.

"Hikari, it's getting late. We should really make a move." Lightning said. Sky seemed sadder than before but that was probably because it was time to say goodbye to the Pokemon who had saved her life.

"I guess this is goodbye?" Rina said, disappointment in her voice.

'_Did they perhaps hear a bit of our conversation...?' _Rina thought, worriedly.

"Yeah it is. It was really great to meet you and I hope you stay safe."

"Rina, good luck. I'm sorry I couldn't help you out with your situation." Rina simply nodded at Hikari and Sky rose her eyebrow.

After quite a tearful goodbye Team Thunder left the Pokecenter, heading back to their headquarters. Rina, Sky and Sparky sat in silence. Rina occasionally shifted around showing her awkwardness. Might as well make conversation.

"So Sky, you have Mew now don't you?" Sky looked up and smiled slightly.

"Yeah I do! She is a real addition to my team. I cant wait to train her!" Rina smiled at her friend, partly because she showed no signs of knowing about the kiss that was such a mistake.

'_Rina look at yourself! You can't carry on acting as if nothing has happened! Tell her now.'_

"Sky, we need to talk."

"Sure, but can we eat first? I'm starving!"

'_Oh boy. I hate distractions.' _Rina sighed as they got up and made their way to the cafeteria.

-

Now sitting in their room for the night, both girls faced each other. Sky was in her pj's while Rina still hadn't managed to get changed. How could she even think about sleeping when she still had to tell Sky about what she had done?! Sky rested her pillow on her lap and looked at Rina expectantly.

"Well, you see... before I start I just want to say that I'm so sorry and I hope you can see past it and forgive me!" Sky laughed and said she wouldn't stay mad at Rina for whatever it was she had done.

"When I went to see Nicholas we talked for a bit and then..." Rina broke the eye contact with Sky and looked down at the floor.

"Go on..." Sky urged her to continue.

"WekissedandIdidntknowwhatIwasdoing! Itwasamistakeanditwillneverhappenagain!"

"Come again? You spoke so fast I couldn't understand a word you just said!" Sky laughed again.

'_Why do I have to repeat myself??'_

"Me and Nicholas kissed! I didn't mean for it to happen, honest."

Sky stopped laughing and looked at Rina seriously. Her heart was beating faster than normal and she blinked several times, trying to fight back the tears that were threatening to fall. Was she being serious? Or was this just a cruel joke?

"Sky I'm so very sorry and I-" Rina stopped talking when Sky tossed her pillow on the bed and climbed in.

"Save it. I don't want to hear your excuses. Back-stabber." Sky faced the wall so her back was facing Rina.

Rina sat in silence and a tear slid down her cheek. She was a terrible person. Sparky climbed onto her lap and licked her face. She didn't want to look weak in front of her Pokemon so she quickly wiped her cheek with the back of her hand and shifted Sparky onto the bed. Grabbing her Poke belt and putting it around her waist she headed for the door.

"I need some fresh air. You can come if you want." Sparky obliged and hurried after her trainer. As they left the room Rina heard a few sniffs from Sky's bed.

-

"Ralts confusion." For what must have been the twenty third time Ralts blasted a trainer's Pokemon. She had been accepting battles since she left the Pokecenter and was quite surprised at the amount of weak trainers who stayed out so late to battle. The man's Bibarel fainted instantly and he huffed as he handed her the prize money.

Rina was quite rich now as trainers tended to hand out quite a bit of money to people they lost too. Rina had only used her Ralts to battle because she realised it still hadn't evolved yet. Rina hadn't held back in any battles either. She told Ralts to attack and attack without stopping. As cruel as it sounded she was unleashing her own anger. It wasn't anger towards Sky, but to herself.

Glancing at her watch she saw it was already eleven thirty two. She had left the Pokecenter at around ten and hadn't realised just how long she had been out for. A bright glow snapped her out of her thoughts. Where Ralts was once standing, now a Kirlia took its place.

"Awesome job!" Rina hadn't showed any signs of happiness in the past hour or so, but now she truly was happy.

"You've worked incredibly hard tonight, take a rest now." Rina returned Kirlia to its Pokeball and place it on her belt.

Rina shivered as a cold breeze brushed against her arms. She noticed Sparky was also shivering so she picked her up and hugged her. She would have to remember to get a jacket soon...

"It's getting really cold and late, we should head back. You must be tired too." Sparky nodded so the two began to walk back.

(Ten minutes later)

"Why is it so dark?! I can hardly see a thing and I'm pretty sure we're lost."

'_Maybe because it is nearly midnight...?' _Sparky though. Rina sure did make her laugh at times.

"DAMMIT! The Pokecenter closes at midnight! If we don't find our way back in-" Rina glanced at her watch. "-about fifteen minutes we'll be locked out."

Sparky dramatically collapsed to the floor and complained. Even though she loved Rina to bits, that didn't mean she couldn't make fun of her once in a while. She was just happy that Rina couldn't understand what she was saying. Sparky then smiled as she got an idea. Climbing up onto Rina's leg, she reached her paw up to Flareon's Pokeball and let her out.

"Huh? Why did you let Flareon ou-Oh! Good idea Sparky. Flareon use your fire...abilities to make your body glow with fire so we can see!"

Sparky collapsed on the floor once more and sighed. Maybe Rina was so dense because she hadn't eaten? Sparky picked up a stick and spoke to Flareon, telling it what to do. Flareon nodded and used a small Flamethrower attack to make a fire on one end of the stick. Realising what was happening, Rina took the stick carefully and grinned at the fact that it produced enough light for her to see the path in front of her.

Collapsing on her bed Rina was grateful to be back in a warm room with a comfortable bed. She had made it back just as Nurse Joy was locking up. Even though she got a stern talk from the nurse about staying out late, she was happy to be back. Hurriedly changing into her pyjama's, Rina chucked her clothes at the end of her bed and placed her Poke belt on the drawers next to her bed. Rina soon fell into a deep sleep, with Sparky curled up beside her.

-

Looking at the digital clock next to her bed Rina saw it was nearly eight in the morning. Throwing the covers off and stretching she climbed out of bed and gathered up her clothes. Her eyes were stinging and were half closed indicating she was still tired, but Rina was a person who couldn't go back to sleep once she was awake. She went into the bathroom and locked the door. Placing her clothes on the stool she then changed out of her pyjama's and climbed into the shower. She groaned as the water came out cold, but it managed to wake her up. Blinking a few times Rina adjusted the warmth of the water and had a quick shower and washed her hair.

Rina slowly walked out of the shower with a white spotless towel wrapped around her slim body. She really wasn't a morning person. Rina grabbed her toothbrush and squirted toothpaste on it, but most of it ended up in the sink. Looking at her self in the mirror while brushing her teeth she thought back to last night. Was it going to be awkward around Sky now? Or would Sky completely ignore her?

Roughly twenty minutes later Rina emerged from the bathroom, all ready to leave. Sparky was now awake but she didn't look too happy. It was then that Rina noticed Sky's bed was empty. She hadn't noticed before because she was still half asleep and oblivious to those kinds of things.

Rina gulped as she approached the bed and saw a piece of paper with neat, curly writing on it. Sparky scampered over and jumped onto Sky's bed to get a look at the note. Rina picked it up and read it.

Dear Rina,

I don't know how you're going to react to this. You could be sad or incredibly happy. I have really held you back on your journey and I got you into loads of trouble. But of course that's not the reason why I decided to part ways with you. You hurt me a lot Rina. I don't think you understood just how much I liked Nicholas, and then you had to go and kiss him. Maybe I'm over reacting but it's how I feel. I trusted you Rina. I really enjoyed spending time with you.

Don't get me wrong, you were an amazing friend to me. But I think this whole situation with Nicholas is going to cause things to be awkward. I bet you thought the same thing huh? I'm going to travel alone for a while. Who knows, maybe we'll bump into each other. I honestly do want to travel with you, but maybe we should let things cool down a bit. I bet you're thinking I'm way over reacting. I'll miss you Rina. And you too Sparky. Once I clear my head and spend some time with just my Pokemon we could probably see past what has happened. Take care of yourself.

Love, Sky. X

Rina read it over and over again. She told Sparky what the note said and Rina shed a few tears. She would really miss Sky, and she wasn't sure it was a good idea for her to travel alone. Was she forgetting crazy psycho men were out for her?? There was no way she would survive on her own! A thirteen year old girl in more danger than ever wondering around Sinnoh alone. It just wasn't right. Sure, she had her Pokemon with her. But they weren't as strong as Rina's Pokemon because Sky hardly ever trained them. And when she did train them or use them in battle she was unsure of herself. And not forgetting the fact that Team Elemental's Pokemon were incredibly powerful. They were threatening to kill her for crying out loud! And to make matters worse, Rina now had Mew on her team. Tons of people would give anything to have that Pokemon on their team. There was only one thing for Rina to do. And that was to find Sky.

"I have put off my gym battles for a while now, but they can wait a bit longer. The gym's aren't going anywhere but Sky will be. Sparky, we have to find her." Sparky nodded and hopped onto Rina's shoulder as she grabbed the room key and her stuff and hurried out of the room and into the lobby of the Pokecenter.

"Here you go Nurse Joy, the room key." Rina gave the nurse the key and she thanked her.

"Rina, your friend left quite early this morning. It wasn't even six yet and she was out of that door in such a rush."

"Really? Did she happen to say where she was going?" Rina crossed her fingers behind her back in hope that Sky might have mentioned anything. Nurse Joy shook her head.

"She left in such a rush. Is there a problem?"

"Oh no its nothing. Thank you again!" Rina waved and left the Pokecenter. Once outside she took her map out of her bag and inspected it.

"We are close to Pastoria City, maybe a couple days walk. Perhaps Sky went there?"

"Pikaa."

Rina folded up the map and put it back in her bag. If she went to Pastoria City there was a chance she would find Sky there. And there was also a gym there... It wouldn't hurt to have one gym battle would it?

"Right, it's decided then. We're going to Pastoria City in search for Sky and our next gym badge!" Rina declared with a grin on her face.

"Pi?"

"I wish I could understand what you just said... But I have an idea that you're doubting me aren't you? I really am sad that Sky left but remember, we only have about five or six months left to get the rest of the gym badges and enter the Sinnoh League."

Sparky nodded in understanding. Rina was her trainer after all. Plus, it was Sky's decision to leave and it was true that she had somewhat held Rina back.

"And on top of all that we have loads more training to do. If I remember correctly Lightning taught you a few moves didn't he?" Sparky nodded. "Right, well it will take a few days to reach Pastoria so we can get in a lot of training and it's about time the others learnt some new moves too."

Rina began walking down the long path that would take her to Pastoria City, telling Sparky about all the plans she had in mind once they challenged the Sinnoh League. Rina wasn't sure if she could win it, but if she did it wouldn't be all that fun. If she beat Cynthia and became champion there would be things to do all the time. She would be receiving many requests from trainers wanting to be champion and then there were the fans. She knew famous people had herds of fans following them around and wanting autographs and pictures.

"Sparky, I think I want to remain a normal trainer. Being champion of the Sinnoh league sounds scary."

**A/N: It's finally finished! This chapter took me ages... I've been slacking a lot lately but I have excuses! I might have confused some of you with Mew. I couldn't remember if I mentioned in the last chapter that Rina kept Mew... Well she did so I apologize if you're a bit confused!**

**Okay so, bye bye Sky! Who knows if she'll return..? Well I do but I won't spoil anything :D I was originally going to stop updating this story because I have officially lost all of my reviewers... Where have you gone? :'(**

**Please review this! Please?**


	25. Old Friends

Early next morning Rina carried on walking towards Pastoria City. She hadn't gotten much sleep mainly because she was alone. Sure, she had her Pokemon but human company was always nice. Also, the strange noises she had probably imagined didn't help. She had always been slightly afraid of the dark since a young age. She thought she would grow out of it but strangely, she never did.

"Sparky, I was thinking..."

"Pi?"

"Well, I cared a lot about Sky because she was a good friend, but sometimes she seemed to be a bit... mean. When we first met Tizzy she was horrible to her, and a couple of times she made comments about me. Heck, I could have gotten killed when we first ran into Team Elemental! Maybe she isn't the best travelling partner after all..."

"Pi!" Sparky nodded her head, agreeing with what Rina was saying. Sky was a good person but she had her faults too. Rina changed the subject after a few minutes of silence.

"We haven't had a decent battle in a while. Maybe we should get some training done before we battle the next gym. You are the only one who has a good type advantage... It could be difficult."

"Oh really? How about a quick battle then?"

Rina turned to her left and saw an all too familiar face. The girl was leaning against a tree with her arms folded and a grin on her face. She had sky blue eyes and curly blonde hair which was tied in two low pony tails. She wore a plain black tank top and a red checkered skirt. On her feet were a pair of black trainers with a red stripe on the sides.

"Rikki?!"

"Long time no see Rina!" Rikki approached her and they shared a quick hug.

"I haven't seen you since year two! After you moved we somehow lost contact." Rina said.

"Yeah I know, we were such good friends!"

"What have you been up to anyway?" Rina asked. She was surprised to see Rikki because she was never one to like Pokemon. In fact she used to hate them. While everyone else in year one and two would talk about the Pokemon games and what was their favourite, Rikki would complain about how boring they were. It was quite weird because _every one _back then loved Pokemon.

"I actually started a Pokemon journey, believe it or not! I earned a few badges but gave up when Professor Rowan requested that I collect as many Pokemon as possible for his research." Rikki explained.

"So you basically catch every new Pokemon you come across for him?" Rina asked. She wasn't too sure if she understood properly.

"Pretty much. So are you travelling alone?"

"Well I was with this girl called Sky but we had a few problems and she left recently." Rikki noticed that Rina didn't seem too bothered by this.

"Want some company? I'd love to travel with you, we have so much catching up to do!" Rina smiled and immediately said yes. It was just so great to see Rikki again that Rina didn't even give Sky a second thought. The two carried on walking while chatting about their Pokemon journeys and the memories they had.

They had been walking for just over an hour when they decided to take a break in a field. It was going to be lunch time soon and both girls were getting hungry. They put their bags down and had a quick lunch which consisted of basic stuff; sandwiches' and crisps. Neither of them were great cooks so they wouldn't get a decent mean until they reached the next Pokecenter which was in Pastoria City.

"Hey, you mentioned earlier you wanted to do some training. How about a battle? It will give us both the chance to meet each other's Pokemon."

"Sure! Three on three."

Rina and Rikki stood opposite each other leaving enough space for the Pokemon to move. Rikki and Rina threw their first Pokeballs at the same time, so neither of them purposely had the advantage. Out of Rina's Pokeball came Kirlia, while Rikki's Pokemon was a Monferno.

"Cool, you started with a Chimchar!"

"Sure did, I don't want Monferno to evolve though. I don't particularly like Infernapes." Rina giggled and then called an attack.

"Start things off with Psychic!" Kirlia's eyes shone a bright blue and he lifted Monferno of off the ground who in return started struggling. Kirlia then slammed Monferno on the ground but it got right back up.

"Monferno counter with Mach Punch!" Monferno raced forward and brought his fist back. Kirlia side-stepped out of the way but Monferno still landed a punch on Kirlia's cheek, although it barely harmed Kirlia.

"Monferno quickly do a Flamethrower!" Before Rina or Kirlia could react Kirlia received a blast of flames in his face at close range.

"Kirlia! Hang in there and use Confusion!" Kirlia's eyes flashed blue again as it blasted Monferno with psychic power, although it was less damaging compared to Psychic. Monferno struggled to stand as did Kirlia because of the Flamethrower.

"Confusion!"

"Flame Wheel!"

Using the last of their energy both Pokemon attacked at the same time, both taking damage. Since psychic type moves were extremely effective against Monferno, it fainted in the end while Kirlia was still standing.

"Monferno you were great. Take a rest now." Monferno was put back in its Pokeball and Rikki watched as Rina complimented Kirlia but also returned it because it was tired.

"Your Kirlia is strong, I think you should use him in your next gym battle." Rikki suggested while taking her next Pokeball in hand.

"I think I will. He works hard when training."

Both girls then released their next Pokemon. Rina went with her Staravia while Rikki released a Pokemon that Rina took a liking too. It was a purple monkey with two tails and had a happy grin on its face.

"I've always wanted too see an Ambipom! It's so cute!" Rina squealed, admiring the Pokemon.

"Don't let her looks fool you. She is one tough Pokemon! Show them by starting off with a Swift!"

Ambipom kept smiling as it jumped around doing some sort of crazy dance. She didn't use Swift at all, confusing both Rina and Staravia. After about a minute Ambipom was still dancing and messing around.

Rina smirked. "Ha, she doesn't even listen to you! Alright Staravia this shouldn't take too long. Get in close and prepare for an Aerial Ace!" Staravia backed up then spread it's wings out and swooped down on the happy-go-lucky monkey.

'_Gotcha.' _Rikki thought with a grin. "Ambipom now!"

Just as Staravia was about to strike Ambipom in the stomach, Ambipom waved her two tails and sent stars towards Staravia, hitting it dead on. Rina stood with her mouth wide open. Staravia managed to stay in the air as she quickly shook of the attack.

"What was that?!" Rina yelled.

"Me and Ambipom came up with that technique and it works every time. We make our opponents think Ambipom has no intention to fight and they get big-headed and usually dive straight in; that's when Ambipom strikes." Rikki explained, her smile getting bigger and bigger.

"I could learn a lot from you. Maybe you could help me come up with my own technique after the battle? But in the meantime... Staravia use Quick Attack!" Staravia vanished in the blink of an eye and re-appeared seconds later, striking Ambipom.

"Ambipom use Double Hit!" Ambipom got right back in there, her two tails glowing purple as she aimed her attack. Staravia countered with a Whirlwind but it wasn't strong enough. Ambipom stood against the wind and slowly edged towards Staravia. When she was in range, she struck Staravia twice with sheer power. Staravia stood on the ground panting.

"This could be too risky but we need to end this fast." Rina muttered. "Okay Staravia, use Brave Bird!" Staravia flew up and kept her wings firmly at her side. She shone a blue colour and swooped down on the grinning monkey who was jumping from foot to foot.

"Dodge it." Rikki called calmly, showing no signs of being worried. As Staravia came closer and closer Ambipom smiled at her and waved, then skipped out of the way, making Staravia panic and swerve into a tree.

"Staravia no!" Rina ran to her Pokemon to check if she was okay. When she turned her onto her back she saw that Staravia was out cold. Rina praised her for her effort and returned her to her Pokeball. By the time she walked back to her side of their makeshift battle field Rikki had recalled Ambipom.

'_Who should I use next?' _Rina thought as her hand brushed against her Pokeballs, finally taking one in hand. Both of the girls Pokeballs revealed their final Pokemon. This round would determine the winner, but neither girl knew just how powerful the other one was. Rina's Pokemon was her Glaceon while Rikki used a blue slug Pokemon she recognised as a Gastrodon.

"Unfortunately I don't know much about this Pokemon but I think it's just a water type. You never know so be careful Glaceon." Rina said while trying to think if Gastrodon had a second type.

"Glae!"

"Since you are clueless on my Pokemon you have the first move." Rikki offered.

"How very nice of you." Rina grinned. "Glaceon Ice Shard!" Glaceon opened its mouth and shot out sharp pieces of ice with hit Gastrodon but did little damage.

"Gastrodon show them your Muddy Water!" Gastrodon summoned up water which looked much like surf but the water was dirty. The water attack swamped Glaceon, drenching her completely.

"Muddy Water? If I remember correctly that is a ground type move..."

-

Meanwhile...

"PLEASE give me a piggy back ride? I'm sooooo tired!"

The Pokemon sighed and gave in, allowing his trainer to climb onto his back. The Pokemon's trainer had been bugging him for a piggy back ride for a while now and he wanted to keep her happy. Besides, she _must _be tired after lugging around the extra weight...

-

"Correct. Gastrodon is in fact part ground type. Cool huh?" Rikki explained as she looked at the confused Rina.

"Pretty cool, I guess. Okay then Glaceon use-" Rina's sentence was cut off though as a large blue blur sped past, crashing into both Glaceon and Gastrodon knocking them out instantly.

"Glaceon!"

"Gastrodon!"

Seeing their fainted Pokemon they were returned to their Pokeballs as she saw the culprit. Surprise surprise... It was none other than Tizzy and her over grown Snorlax; Tubby. Tizzy was on Tubby's back and she was holding a piece of rope which was attached to a boy's waist. As Tubby ran around in circles with Tizzy screaming gleefully the boy was being dragged about helplessly. Tizzy noticed Rina and told Tubby to stop by them. She jumped off his back and gave Rina a bear hug.

"Hi Rina!"

She then moved over to Rikki. "Hi friend!"

"...Do I know you?" Rikki asked flatly.

"Nope!" Tizzy giggled and gave Rikki a hug none the less. Rina took this time to examine the boy who was being lugged around by Tizzy, who was holding firmly onto the end of the rope. He was shorter than Tizzy yet he looked to be around the same age as them. He had messy black hair but most of it was covered by a plain dark grey winter hat. He wore a red shirt with a black jacket over it. He also wore dark blue jeans and red and white trainers. He looked pretty weak and skinny, which was probably why he made no attempt to escape from the rope.

"Tizzy meet Rikki. Rikki meet Tizzy." Rina introduced the two, noticing the glares Tizzy was receiving by a not so happy looking Rikki.

"So who's your friend?" Rina asked, making conversation in order to save Rikki from Tizzy, who was smiling weirdly at her.

"This is Andy and he is my _boyfriend_!" She giggled at the word 'boyfriend' like it was such a big deal to have one of those.

"What the heck?! He doesn't look like your boyfriend. More like a boy who wants to leave because he shouldn't be with you." Rikki stated. Rina looked at her curiously.

"How did you come up with that story?"

"He just mouthed 'help me'." Rikki said simply. Rina looked at the tired boy who was staring at them with pleading eyes. It was so obvious he didn't want to be here. In fact he shouldn't be here. Rina felt pity for him because she knew how crazy Tizzy could get and he looked so timid, like he wouldn't be able to control her uniqueness.

"This is my Snorlax!" Tizzy excitedly told Rikki, making her stare at Tizzy.

"No. Really?!" Rikki said sarcastically. Rina giggled.

'_She is still as sarcastic as ever.'_

"Okayyy we're gonna go now. We need to get to Pastoria City as soon as possible." Rina grabbed Rikki by the arm and dragged her in the right direction, but then remembered they hadn't had lunch yet. Rina asked Rikki if she could cook; and her reply was no. Rina wasn't much of a cook either so they looked at each other blankly.

"I can cook!" Tizzy announced while sticking her hand up in the air as if she was at school trying to get the teachers attention.

"Really?" Rina asked, unsure if she should believe her. Tizzy didn't look like much a cook and anyway, she was a klutz.

"Nope!" Tizzy found this hysterical and had a laughing fit while Rikki groaned and shook her head. Andy stepped towards Rina and Rikki but Tizzy pulled him back so he was beside her.

He sighed and spoke timidly. "I c-can cook..." It was almost a whisper and Rikki put a hand behind her ear and leaned forward.

"I'm sorry what was that?" Rikki teased.

Andy huffed and spoke louder. "I said I can c-cook..."

_

Surprisingly Andy's cooking seemed to satisfy everyone, mainly Tubby. He was actually a really good cook but it did take a while for him to finish cooking because Tizzy kept tugging on the rope to pull him closer to her when he got too far away. While everyone was eating Rina and Rikki got to know Andy a bit more. Although Rikki was only half interested in what he was saying, but she nodded when necessary to be polite. They learnt he was from Fuchsia City in Kanto and then he went on to tell a boring story about how he went to school until he was old enough to start his journey. Later on into the conversation Rina was forced to explain to Rikki who Team Elemental were. Why? Because Andy told them a very interesting story.

When he was fourteen he decided to leave Kanto to explore Sinnoh because it was the furthest region from him and he was interested mostly in the Pokemon here. However soon after he came to Sinnoh he was attacked by a group of people – who he described and Rina told him it was Team Elemental – and they managed to steal all of his Pokemon which were; Ivysaur, Sandshrew, Pysduck, Rattata and Krabby. He searched for days on end for his beloved Pokemon but he was only able to track down his Ivysaur. Those two were never the best of friends and Ivysaur usually ignored him and refused to try and be friends. But after Andy had found him they grew inseparable but Ivysaur would occasionally bully Andy and laugh at him when he made a fool out of himself.

Rikki jumped up and pumped her fist in the air. "I swear in the name of Arceus I will help you get your Pokemon back! I heard about what those jerks put Rina through and I hate them even though I've never met them... But still! We will find them!" Rina quickly shot Rikki a look that was pleading with her to shut up.

"That means if we're going to help Andy Pandy we will have to travel with you guys! Yaaay! Here that Tubby? We get to be with Rina and Rikki twenty-four seven!"

Oh boy. Just what Rina was dreading. And of all people it was _Rikki _who gave Tizzy the idea to travel with them. Rikki was sure going to regret this. Tizzy was just so unique, and Rikki hadn't seen anything yet. Rina was going to have to complain later on when Tizzy was out of ear-shot.

-

It was getting late and the group had been walking for hours. They weren't too far away from Pastoria City but Rina had suggested they stop and set up camp for the night (which consisted of just sleeping bags.) Even when Andy was asleep Tizzy still had a hold of him meaning they had to sleep near each other. Andy had tried to protest and beg Tizzy for her to let him go but she refused; saying they were meant to be and Andy was "The One." Tizzy, Andy and Sparky were currently asleep while Rina and Rikki were laying in their sleeping bags talking.

"We didn't even get to finish our battle..." Rikki moaned. Rina sighed and reminded her that she was the one who had invited them along.

"Yes but Andy is the only one who can cook!" Rikki defended herself.

"I guess. But Tizzy can be a handful, just spending one day with her is bad enough. Don't get me wrong, she is a really nice person and she can be fun to be around but sometimes she is just too hyper."

Rikki thought about it but didn't see what the big deal was. Sure she had never been with Tizzy a whole day but she can't be that bad.

"Anyway, do you still remember Nicholas?" Rina asked suddenly.

"The one from primary school? The fat kid who bullied other people?"

"Yeah him. But anyway, I've been seeing him quite a bit lately and he has a few really powerful Pokemon. Sky used to like him but because we kissed she got angry and that is why she left."

"Wait, you _kissed_ Nicholas?!" Rikki shot up and gave Rina a disgusted look. Rina also sat up and laughed.

"I know, what the heck was I thinking? I guess it just happened unexpectedly."

"Rina, I expected more from you!" Rikki joked. They carried on laughing and chatting idly about anything until they both eventually fell asleep.

-

**A/N: So I finally finished this chapter... I'm determined to finish this story and update as soon as I can. I have the next two (maybe three) chapters planned so it shouldn't take too long. I hope...**

**So! A couple of new characters are introduced. Rikki belongs to me and Andy belongs to Crazy Amazing (she also owns Tizzy.) Rina has some new travelling partners and they will be staying. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about Sky. She'll be making an appearance in about four or five chapters and it will be an unexpected twist! Also this chapter was kind of short because it was just meant for introducing Andy and Rikki.**

**Read and please Review! (:**


	26. Delay

"Finally! It's so good to book a room at the Pokemon Centre that we will be staying in tonight." Rina threw her arms up in joy as the group exited the Centre, having rented out a room tonight with two bunk beds in it. They had travelled a couple more hours that expected after waking up, due to Tizzy and Andy having a few arguments about the way she had him tied up. They were happy to finally be in Pastoria City after the long walk.

"There isn't much to d-do here..." Andy stated. Over the past few hours he'd become more talkative and louder; probably because Rikki urged him to get over being quiet and shy.

"Well, I want to check out the Great Marsh. There is apparently a few rare Pokemon and there is one in particular I'm interested in." Rikki said to the group, letting them know about her plans which would last only about an hour.

"That sounds cool! Me and Sparky might just tag along." Rikki smiled at Rina, glad for the company.

"Well me and Tubbykins certainly will not be coming along. It's too muddy in there and I don't want to ruin my shoes! I might just go and play or something like that! And where ever I go, Andy goes." Within seconds Tizzy was pulling Andy off to a different part of the city, much to his dismay. When Rikki explained the Great Marsh outing he seemed quite interested but now it looked as if he wasn't going there any time soon.

"It's just me and you then! We probably won't be in there long because you only get a certain amount of time." Rikki said.

"Well it'll pass time anyway. Besides, me and Sparky can battle a few Pokemon in there." The two then headed to the gate which was right next to the Pokemon Centre. As soon as they entered a woman wearing a green safari outfit greeted them.

"Hello, will you two be catching the Pokemon or just simply looking?" The woman asked. Rina didn't know much about the place so she left it to Rikki to answer the questions.

"Well I want to catch a few, and my friend here wants battle the Pokemon in order to level her Pokemon up." The woman frowned at Rina.

"I'm sorry dear but we no longer allow travellers to battle the Pokemon in there." Rina groaned and said it wasn't fair.

"But I was here a few months ago and I was allowed to battle them. Why is it different now?" Rikki questioned the woman who was becoming agitated.

"The Pokemon League made the rule because too many of the Pokemon were becoming injured. Here are thirty Safari Balls and some bait. You are only allowed to use these items to catch the Pokemon and if a member of staff witness you attacking the Pokemon with one of your own you'll be disqualified. When your time is up or you run out of Safari Balls an attendant will announce for you to come out. That will be five pounds please." Rikki handed over the money and the Safari Balls and bait was placed in Rikki's hand and the woman stalked off, huffing.

"Well that's just great. How am I supposed to catch that rare Pokémon with just some bait?? That's nearly impossible." Rikki complained while glaring at the woman from earlier. Rina simply smiled and pushed her towards the entrance.

"Come on. It can't possibly be that hard."

-

"This is _so _hard!" Rina moaned and Rikki smirked at her. Rina wasn't actually catching anything but while watching Rikki she realised just how hard it could be to catch a Pokemon without weakening it first. They had only be in there for roughly ten minutes and had encountered several Pokémon, but they were all common. None of them were worth catching (but Rikki chucked balls at them anyway) except from when Rikki had seen a Tangela and thought it was quite cute. She had fed it some bait but the Tangela ate it and ran off before Rikki could even grab a Safari Ball.

They were currently near the middle of the marsh and hadn't seen that rare Pokemon that was meant to be here. Come to think of it, Rikki hadn't even told Rina what the Pokemon was.

"What Pokemon are we even looking for...?" Rina asked. Rikki turned to face her and smiled.

"A Tropius!" Rikki declared happily. Rina muttered the Pokemon's name over and over until she remembered what that was. The girls were getting bored and tired, and Rikki only had seven Safari Balls left; having used them all on other Pokemon.

"They're pretty rare in the Sinnoh region." Rina commented as they decided to take the tram into the deepest part of the forest.

"Yup, and that is why I want one! I done some research and they are supposedly hard to find in this place so I figured they would be in the deepest part." A few other passengers were sitting with them and snickered at Rikki, talking amongst themselves and saying things like "she'll never find one of those." Rikki glared at them and sat in silence while they rode the tram for several minutes until they finally reached the end. When the tram stopped Rina and Rikki hurried off and Rikki declared that she _would _find a Tropius no matter what.

Walking through more mud and grass was making Rina get angrier. Her shoes were going to need serious washing later. They probably only had around fifteen minutes left before their time was up, and things weren't looking so good. More common Pokemon scampered past, some avoiding the Safari Balls being thrown at them while others gladly sat there in front of a trainer, wanting to be caught.

"I'm getting really bored now Rikki. Can we hurry up? I'm all muddy and I'm in desperate need of a shower and something to eat!" Rina complained, staring at her muddy shoes and feeling her stomach rumble.

"You can go back to the Pokemon Centre if you like, and I'll see you later. I just really want to try and find a Tropius. But honestly, if you wanna go back then I don't mind." Rikki replied while looking around for any signs of a Tropius. Rina sighed. Rikki was being nice about it, how could Rina leave her alone now to search for a hard to find Pokemon?

"Nah I can wait. Besides, with the both of us looking there is more chance of spotting one." Rikki thanked her and they carried on walking in any direction that they decided to go in. After a few more minutes of walking they came to a clearing and found two Tropius eating fruit off of a tree.

"That's it! That's a Tropius! Now I can finally catch one!" Rikki screamed happily. One of the Tropius got scared of the screaming girl and flew off with amazing speed. The other one was oblivious to the screaming and carried on eating. Rikki and Rina carefully approached it, trying to be as quiet as possible, so they didn't startle it. Rina suddenly sneezed loudly but the Tropius didn't even turn its head. It simply carried on eating still unaware of the girls approaching it from behind.

"Hi, do you want some of this food? I'm sure its tons nicer than that fruit." Rikki bribed the Pokemon with the bait. Rikki waited for the Pokemon to turn around and look at them but it didn't. Rikki and Rina exchanged confused glances and Rina said "hi" a bit louder. Still no reply. Rikki shouted at "Tropius" but it didn't even budge. It just carried on keeping its back to them and eating. Rikki became agitated and walked in front of Tropius. Only then did it take notice of her. Rikki introduced herself and offered the bait once more. Tropius blinked at her and stayed still.

"Rikki, I think it's deaf." Rina suggested.

"You know, you could be right. Or maybe its just not friendly." Rikki said while staring at the Tropius; who stared back.

"So this is the deaf Tropius. That man wasn't kidding when he told me about it." Rina and Rikki turned to see Nicholas inspecting the Tropius from the side.

"You." Rina growled.

"Me." Nicholas snickered. He then looked at Rikki. "Who's the new friend? And why aren't you with Sky anymore?" Nicholas asked.

"That's Rikki, surely you remember her now." Nicholas thought about it and then nodded. "And what makes you think me and Sky aren't travelling with each other?"

"I saw her yesterday passing through Pastoria. She was with another girl and when I questioned her she simply said "I have new friends." Nicholas noticed Rina's expression and thought she was jealous but said nothing.

"Long time no see." Rikki stated simply while keeping an eye on the Tropius. Nicholas simply looked at her and didn't reply.

"So this Tropius really is deaf? Rikki this one could be hard to train, are you sure you want to catch it?" Rina asked her friend.

"Sure, it will be a challenge but it will also be fun!"

"Hold on. _I_ was planning on catching this one. When that strange old man told me about it I just had to see it. So I suggest you leave now and find another one before you run out of time." Rikki was about to protest but it was too late. Nicholas had already chucked his Safari Ball, hitting Tropius on the side and pulling it in. Rikki gawped at the ball as it shook three times and made a dinging noise, showing that Nicholas had caught the Tropius. He picked up the ball and laughed at Rikki who was looking quite upset.

"Nicholas, that was mean! Rikki really wanted a Tropius and you didn't even let her catch one!" Rina shouted at him. Rikki looked angry now and was shooting daggers at Nicholas. Nicholas shrugged and said it was Rikki's fault for being too slow. He then walked off, feeling proud of himself.

"That jerk. Come on we still have time, lets go and find that other one." Rina suggested while putting her hand on Rikki's shoulder. She seemed to have calmed down and agreed. They walked a few steps but a ranger came up to them and said their time was up. Rikki tried to reason with him but he refused to let her stay longer and so he led them back to the entrance of the Great Marsh.

-

"So then he caught the Tropius?" Andy asked.

"Yep. He's such a jerk. I really wanted it." Rikki growled. The group were sitting in the lobby of the Pokemon Centre, waiting for Rina to come down before they got something to eat. She had gone up to have a quick shower, which Rikki had already done.

"We should rob him for it! Tubby would be great at that!" Tizzy suggested kindly while still holding the rope attached to Andy's waist. Was she ever going to let him go?!

"We could get arrested for that..." Andy said to her, making her pout.

The conversation died down and Rikki was glad to see Rina approach them with Sparky on her shoulder. They all made their way to the small canteen that was in the Pokemon Centre and ordered their food. They found a large table and sat round it, also making sure to feed the Pokemon. Tizzy had taken two trays of food; one for herself and an extra large portion of various foods for Tubby.

"Andy I love you!" Tizzy giggled every now and again which made him blush every time she announced her feelings. When he didn't reply she forced him to say "I love you" back making other customers "aww" at them. Rikki and Rina ate in silence, slowly becoming disturbed by the kisses Tizzy planted on his cheek every two minutes. Poor guy.

"You're challenging the gym later right?" Rikki asked while taking a bite out of her cheeseburger. Rina swallowed the food in her mouth before answering.

"Yep, I think I'll go when I'm done eating. Although I'm pretty worried. I heard the gym leader has a Quagsire which is part ground type and none of my Pokemon have a good chance against it." Rina looked down at her Pokemon who were eating and conversing with the other Pokemon.

"I'm sure you'll do fine." Rikki encouraged her friend. It seemed Rikki had gotten over the whole Tropius ordeal.

"You could always use my Ivysaur against Quagsire. I'm sure he wont mind helping you out." Andy suggested. Rina smiled at him.

"Thanks but no thanks. It wouldn't be very fair to my Pokemon; knowing I used a Pokemon that belongs to someone else instead of them in a gym battle.

-

**Pokemon's POV.**

(Well hello there pretty thing.) Monferno moved his food bowl over to Flareon and he winked at him.

(What...?) Flareon tilted his head and Glaceon looked on in amusement.

(You sure are cute, wanna be mates?) When Monferno said "mates" he didn't mean friends, he meant the other kind of mates... Flareon looked shocked and slapped Monferno with his paw.

(I'm a guy!) Flareon shouted, catching the other Pokemon's attention. They all laughed at the embarrassed Monferno but he quickly shook it off and moved towards Glaceon.

(Do you come here often?) Monferno grinned at Glaceon who backed away.

(Umm, no not really...) Glaceon replied, shooting her brother a scared face.

(Want to be mates?) Monferno asked, placing his paw on Glaceon's paw.

(After you chatted up my _brother_?) Glaceon laughed. (No thanks, mate.) Glaceon carried on eating and Monferno grumbled. He then looked at the other Pokemon, desperate to find a mate. He spotted Sparky innocently eating the rest of her food, enjoying every bite. He shuffled over to her and tried to make his fur look nicer.

(Hey there. Wanna be ma-) Monferno started but Sparky interrupted.

(Get lost, player.) Sparky said simply then carried on eating.

-

The four teenagers watched as their Pokemon laughed at Monferno, who was shuffling from Pokemon to Pokemon. Of course, they had no idea what was going on but they watched anyway. Rikki groaned and sternly told her Monferno to behave.

"What's going on...?" Andy asked curiously.

"He is a bit of a flirt. He falls for nearly every Pokemon we come across." Rikki told him. They had finished eating and were now waiting on the Pokemon to finish their food.

Once the Pokemon were done eating, Rina and Andy gathered up the bowls and handed them back to Nurse Joy. They then chucked away any rubbish they had and recalled all their Pokemon, except Sparky of course; who sat on Rina's shoulder as usual. With the group no longer hungry and muddy, they headed out of the Pokemon Centre and made their way to the shop.

"I'm going to just buy some supplies before I have my battle." Rina entered the shop and Rikki decided to go with her. They picked up several potions and full heals and a pack of Pokeballs. They payed for their supplies and left. When they got outside they witnessed the first argument between the two love birds.

"Come on Tizzy! We aren't even dating! Just let me out of this rope. I wont run away I just want my personal space back!!" Andy screamed. Tizzy was red in the face and shouted back.

"What was that?" She said sweetly. Andy sighed and muttered "nothing."

'_He gave up arguing quite quickly. I wonder if this happens often...?' _Rina wondered. Once Andy had calmed down they headed toward the gym. They were about to enter but Rina was stopped by Nicholas.

"Let's have a full Pokemon battle; six Pokemon each." He said suddenly. Rina blinked and looked confused.

"What brought this on?" She asked.

"Well I know you're challenging gym's like me and I want to see how strong your Pokemon are before you battle Crasher Wake; the gym leader. Or are you too scared?" Nicholas smirked.

"No! I just don't have six Pokemon. And I just want to battle the gym leader anyway."

"I think you won't be ready. He sure was tough, especially that Floatzel of his. And you can borrow one of your friends Pokemon. Come on, I just want a full Pokemon battle with someone, and you are my rival. Plus, Crasher Wake is out for the rest of the day. Something about a Croagunk festival." It was then that Rina noticed the sign on the door of the gym and sure enough it said he wasn't available until tomorrow.

"You can always borrow one of mine. I want to see you beat the crap out of him!" Rikki quickly said. Rina caught on that Rikki was still mad at him and so she reluctantly agreed.

"Good. Meet me at the Pokemon Centre tomorrow around ten." Nicholas waved quickly and walked off.

"Well that was unexpected..." Rina said to her friends.

"Hey, let's go to the festival! Do you think they will have candy floss there?!" Tizzy asked, sounding like an excited kid.

"Maybe. I don't really like Croagunk though... They give me the creeps." Rina shivered and Rikki nodded.

"But, candy floss!" Tizzy grabbed Rina's hand, who then grabbed Rikki and she pulled them all towards the festival, following any signs that told people where to go.

"Tizzy, you can't force them to go. Croagunk kind of creep me out as well. Do we have to go?" Andy asked, while struggling with Tizzy who was pulling him along like a dog.

"Yes we do! We don't have to see the Croagunk, I just want to get some candy floss and I wonder if they have any machines where you win cute teddies?!" Tizzy squealed.

"I don't think it is that kind of festival, Tizzy." Tizzy said it was and dragged them to the festival. There was no way of getting out of this...

**A/N: I'm not quite sure if Tropius is rare in the Great Marsh or not but I decided it would be for my story (:**

**So Nicholas appears and catches a deaf Tropius that Rikki wanted. I sense tension between those two in future. The full on battle was inspired by the last two episodes of Pokemon where Paul and Ash had a full on battle. Also, Sky is mentioned again and apparently has a new travelling friend!**

**Monferno is a bit of a flirt eh? (; Ahaha, he fell for Flareon who is a guy! Awkward...**

**Also we see some "relationship" problems between Andy and Tizzy. You may not know this but you probably do, but anyway, Tizzy has basically forced Andy to be her boyfriend. Although I think later on in the story they might just become an official couple (; I will have to have a word with Crazy Amazing... Oh! Speaking of Crazy Amazing! She showed me a drawing at school today of the characters from this story! (She asked me first before she drew it of course.) Once she uploads it to her computer I will put it onto my profile :D So when I tell you its up there, go check it out! Its amazing. Review please? **


	27. Tough Battles and Damaged Tails

**EDIT: **First of all I want to apologize to Crazy Amazing for forgetting to add this note in the chapter before I posted it on fan fiction –sweat drop- I'm advertising her newest story! (Another one?!) It's called Tizzy's Challenges and it's a sort of side story to this one. Featuring Tizzy's life (of course) and it includes the chapters she is in from her pov! You should go and read it and also review it!!

Rina woke up just after nine o'clock, soon followed by everyone else. Rina was angry that she had woken up so late; now she had hardly any time to train. It was partly Tizzy's fault that everyone was so tired though, because it was Tizzy who made them stay at that festival until midnight. All because she continuously wanted to ride the Ferris wheel and she spent quite a bit of her money on the machines that provided winners with soft toys. They were willingly going to stay until she won, but unfortunately for her the security guard caught her trying to fit through the hole in the machine where the soft toys came out of. If the guard came about ten minutes later she probably would have had enough time to get in there, grab a teddy or two then get back out. Just her luck to get caught. She was let off of the hook though when Rikki insisted she simply had mental problems and didn't know what she was doing half of the time.

By the time everyone had gotten dressed and ate their breakfast Rina only had exactly twelve minutes before she was supposed to meet Nicholas. That hardly gave her any time to get any last minute training in, especially when Tizzy and Andy had to stop every few minutes to argue, declare their "love" or adjust the rope that Andy was always tied to. After they left the Pokemon Centre Rina decided to forget training, there was really no point. The group waited for a few minutes and finally Nicholas arrived, a grin plastered on his chubby face.

"So you actually showed up? I thought you would chicken out."

"No way would I decline a fight from you. Just so you know, I don't even know which one of Rikki's Pokemon I will be using, so don't get big headed if you beat her Pokemon. I've had no time to work with her Pokemon."

Nicholas muttered a "whatever" and led the group to a big battle field near the Pokemon Centre, that was made especially for trainers who wanted to train or engage in a battle. Andy said he would referee the match, so he stood at the side of the field while Rikki and Tizzy sat on the grass a bit further away so they wouldn't get hit by any attacks. Rina was currently with Rikki, discussing how she would pick a Pokemon.

"Pick one at random." Tizzy suggested. Rina nodded at grabbed a random ball from Rikki's bag. She then put it on her belt and made her way to her position on the field. This was one serious battle. She had lost terribly to Nicholas before and she didn't want it to happen again. Especially not in front of her friends. She had worked too hard since she left home: and Nicholas just couldn't beat her again. Then again, he did have powerful Pokemon...

"The six-on-six Pokemon battle between Rina and Nicholas will begin soon. There is no time limit and trainers cannot return their Pokemon in the middle of the battle. The match will end when all Pokemon on either side are unable to battle. Begin!" Andy explained.

"Tell you what. I will choose my Pokemon first so you can have the advantage. Espeon you're up first." He threw his first Pokeball and released his psychic type Espeon. It sat on the floor waving its tail around, waiting to see its opponent.

"Staravia, I choose you!" Rina threw her own Pokeball and Staravia appeared, ready to fight. "Start things of with an Aerial Ace!" Staravia flew up then spread her wings out as she swooped down on Espeon. Without a command from Nicholas, Espeon instinctively dodged to the side gracefully.

However, Rina thought fast.

"After it." Staravia flew behind Espeon who was running around desperately trying to escape. With a bit more added speed, Staravia managed to hit Espeon right on the back. Espeon cried out as it was hit, but that didn't stop Espeon from getting right back up.

"Come on Espeon, show them your Iron Tail attack!" Espeon jumped and its tail shone white as it smacked Staravia right on the side, causing Staravia to come crashing to the ground. Espeon landed near Staravia waiting for her to move.

"Staravia that won't stop us will it?" Staravia nodded and got back up. "Great, now use Double Team." Staravia made several copies of itself which surrounded the helpless Espeon.

"You can't land a direct hit right now so use Future Sight." Espeon focused on its power, which would hit Staravia in a few turns.

'_I know perfectly well what that move does and it could cause a bit of damage. His Pokemon are strong so there is no way one more hit would finish Espeon off. We need to keep up the attacks. Or we could use _that _move. Bit risky but hey.' _Rina thought to herself.

"Brave Bird."

Mistake number one made by Rina.

Espeon dodged the attack and Staravia crashed right into the ground where Espeon was once standing, causing quite a bit of pain. Nicholas saw his chance and ordered a Psychic attack.

Mistake number two was standing there and not calling out a counter attack.

Staravia was hit by the Psychic attack while still laying on the floor, recovering from the impact of Brave Bird earlier on. She managed to stand up after the assault from Psychic, but soon collapsed when Future Sight decided to kick in and drain the last of Staravia's energy. Rina's mouth fell open as she saw her Pokemon unable to battle. She took a Pokeball in hand and recalled Staravia.

"You did a really good job out there." Rina said as Staravia was put back in her ball. Nicholas also recalled his Pokemon.

"Round one goes to Nicholas." Andy meekly said.

Each trainer took a new Pokeball in hand and threw it. From Rina's ball came Kirlia and Nicholas had sent out his Magcargo. The fire type was quite unfamiliar to Rina, and so she wasn't aware to the moves it could learn. She wasn't at an advantage, but she wasn't at a disadvantage either. Either side could win.

-

"What's that scary looking Pokemon that looks like a snail?" Tizzy asked Andy. He looked at her and answered,

"I don't really know to be honest." Rikki sighed and butted in.

"It's called a Magcargo. It's from the Johto Region and it evolves from a Slugma. They're pretty common over there actually."

Tizzy leant forward to look at her. (Andy was in the middle.)

"You know quite a bit about Pokemon don't you?" Wow. Tizzy was actually capable of having a _normal _non random conversation?!

"Well, I guess I do... It's because of Professor Rowan though. He had me collect tons of Pokemon from different regions for him. He reminds me of a Slowpoke. Lazy and too reliant on other people!" Rikki laughed at her own joke and even Andy snickered.

"Professor Rowan is a Slowpoke?!" Tizzy screamed, while jumping up from her seat. Okay, so maybe she wasn't capable of having a normal conversation.

-

"Start things off with a Smog attack." Magcargo breathed out a purple smoke which surrounded Kirlia completely, instantly poisoning him. However, Kirlia's synchronize ability kicked in, causing Magcargo to also get poisoned.

"Forget about his ability did you?" Rina grinned. Nicholas gritted his teeth in response. Even though Kirlia was also poisoned, Rina didn't mind too much as Magcargo would also take damage from its own poisoning. Now all she had to do was attack.

"Kirlia use Confusion."

'**Hey you fat ugly snail! Taste my super duper strength! Hyaaah!' **Kirlia said through telepathy which only Magcargo heard. Kirlia's eye shone blue, and then Magcargo was hit with a blast of blue energy. Magcargo grunted in pain then breathed out fire at Kirlia for insulting him.

'_They seem to be taking this really personally... I wonder why?' _Rina though, oblivious to insult Kirlia had come up with.

"Magcargo don't just stand there. Use Ancient Power!" Magcargo formed a glowing ball of energy in front of his body, and then he shot it at Kirlia.

"Kirlia quick, dodge it then use Lucky Chant." Kirlia got out of the way, barely missing the Ancient Power. He then began to chant some Pokemon talk towards the sky, which affected Magcargo; he would be unable to land a critical hit on Kirlia for five turns.

"She is really playing it safe this time. Rina usually goes straight into attacking the opponent but this time she is being extra careful. She really wants to beat him." Rikki mumbled to herself.

"That isn't going to help you much." Nicholas smirked.

"What do you mean by that? Of course it will help!" Rina argued. He shook his head at her and replied,

"Just because Magcargo can't get a critical hit, doesn't mean his moves won't be powerful enough to finish off your Pokemon. My Pokemon are very strong Rina." He said sternly. Meanwhile, both Pokemon were standing there, taking more and more damage from the poison. Deciding she had had enough, Rina called out an attack.

"Kirlia lets show them. Use Psychic and do not let up!" Kirlia's eyes shone a different shade of blue and Magcargo's body was enveloped in blue energy.

"Now lift him up and down!" Kirlia lifted the helpless fire type off of the ground, raising him a few feet and then slamming him into the ground. This happened a few more times before Nicholas retaliated.

"Break free and use Lava Plume!" As Magcargo was smashed into the ground for the fourth time, he struggled against Kirlia's Psychic energy; eventually breaking free. An inferno of flames then washed over Kirlia, inflicting a huge amount of power on Kirlia. The poison kicked in again on both Pokemon. As Rina waited for the flames to disperse Nicholas ordered Magcargo to use Refresh. Magcargo closed his eyes and his body shimmered, causing Rina to have to look away from the bright light. Once the light had faded, Magcargo opened his eyes and was now cured of his poisoning.

"Damn it." Rina cursed under her breath. Both Pokemon were fairly tired, but far from giving up.

"Try another Ancient Power!" Nicholas called. Magcargo formed another glowing ball of energy. Once it was big enough for his liking, Magcargo shot it towards Kirlia.

"Kirlia quick, Teleport!" Kirlia vanished before everyone's eyes, again barely missing the Ancient Power attack that blasted into a nearby rock. Kirlia appeared beside Magcargo and smiled.

'**Too slow slimy icky snail! Booyah!' **Magcargo fired a Flamethrower at Kirlia, but he once again teleported away. Kirlia was then hit by poison, making him stagger.

"Quit playing around Magcargo! Finish this up with Lava Plume!" Another inferno of flames swept over Kirlia, making him finally fall to the ground. A few seconds later Andy announced that Kirlia could no longer battle and Nicholas had won the second round.

"Return!" Rina and Nicholas both recalled their Pokemon, thanking them for their hard work.

'_Nicholas still has all six Pokemon while I only have four. I really need to concentrate!' _

"When both of you are ready, call out your next Pokemon." Andy said. Rina nodded and grabbed her next Pokeball, as did Nicholas. Nicholas' next Pokemon was his Primeape; the fighting type from Kanto, while Rina's Pokemon was the one she borrowed from Rikki; Mothim – the bug type. Rina quickly took out her Pokedex, knowing virtually nothing about Mothim.

"_**Mothim the moth Pokemon. While it loves floral honey, it won't gather any itself. Instead, it plots to steal some from Combee. This Mothim is female, and currently level 31. Moves known are; Protect, Bug Bite, Hidden Power and Gust."**_

"Hmm, quite good moves and a pretty good level I guess. Okay Mothim, you're working with me today. Just do whatever I say, okay?" Mothim fluttered around to look at this girl she had never met. It stared at Rina then noticed her trainer Rikki was sitting behind Rina.

"Mothim it's okay. This is Rina, my friend. Just do whatever she tells you to do." Rikki called out. Mothim nodded and turned to face Primeape, who was bashing his fists together, waiting to beat the bug to a pulp.

"So that's Rikki's Pokemon then. I'll let you go first since you haven't battled with this one before." Nicholas said smugly.

"I may have just met Mothim but we'll do fine, right Mothim?" Rina called out cheerfully. Mothim shook her body as if she was saying no. Rina hung her head in shame but ordered an attack anyway.

"Start off with Gust!" Rina called. "It's the only effective move we have..." she then muttered to herself. Mothim flapped her wings, producing a small tornado which hit Primeape dead on, knocking him back. Primeape got back up and became enraged. He smashed his fists together and charged at Mothim.

"That's it. Use your Focus Punch!" Nicholas called out to his rampaging Pokemon.

After just one hit Primeape was angry, so what would happen if it took multiple hits?!

Primeape brought his fist back and went to punch Mothim in the face, but Mothim fluttered out of the way. Realising that it missed, Primeape jumped from foot to foot, waving his arms around; getting angrier by the second. Primeape threw punch after punch – missing every time. Primeape then focused his punches on a rock, attempting to make them more powerful and accurate. Nicholas told him to get it together and attack Mothim and not the rock, but Primeape was oblivious to everything. He just wanted to increase his accuracy so he could land a hard punch on Mothim.

Rina saw her chance and acted fast. "Try a Hidden Power now that it's distracted!"

Mothim was surrounded by little balls of energy, then released them, hitting Primeape on the back. Primeape turned around and faced Mothim, finally realizing who the opponent was. He lunged towards Mothim and punched her in her small body. Mothim cried out and tried to fly away but Primeape kept on grabbing her then punching or kicking her.

"Rina, get Mothim out of there!" Rikki stood up and yelled, seeing her Pokemon get brutally attacked by the angry Primeape.

"Right. Mothim use Protect to guard yourself then fly away from Primeape!" Mothim shielded herself with a blue force, and when Primeape tried to punch Mothim the shield stopped Mothim from getting hurt. She then took this chance to fly back in front of Rina. Having protected Mothim from an attack, the shield wore away.

"Now use Bug Bite!" Mothim flew towards Primeape, baring its teeth. Nicholas knew the attack was a bug type attack, and would do no damage to Primeape so he let the attack hit. Mothim bit down onto Primeape's left arm, barely doing any damage. Nicholas smirked at Rina.

"Use Low Kick!" Primeape swung his leg then kicked Mothim really hard in the side. Mothim staggered back and winced in pain.

"Don't give up! Use Gust now." Mothim flapped her wings to create a tornado, which then swirled towards Primeape.

"Dodge it!" Primeape jumped away from the oncoming tornado, which then dispersed into nothing.

"Keep on using Gust! Don't let up!" Mothim created many tornados, some bigger than the other, and aimed for Primeape, who in turn kept dodging them.

"Keep dodging the Gusts and get closer to Mothim." Nicholas formed a plan in his head as Primeape swiftly jumped this way and that to dodge the gusts of wind being thrown at him. Once Primeape was close enough Nicholas said,

"Now do Fury Swipes!" Primeape scratched Mothim on her wings multiple times. Mothim flapped around wildly but Primeape was so angered he kept coming at her with more scratches.

"Protect!" Rina panicked as Mothim was getting more and more exhausted. Mothim formed another shield but Primeape didn't stop his attacks. He scratched at the shield, but no harm was done to Mothim.

"Use Focus Energy to get pumped up." Primeape left Mothim alone for a second, and concentrated on his own power. By the time his attack was powered up Mothim's Protect had wore off.

"Now Focus Punch!" Primeape landed a powerful, direct hit on Mothim, having used Focus Energy to get a good hit in. Mothim was thrown to the ground and Andy waited for a moment before he said anything. Rina was about to give up hope but Mothim slowly got back up.

"Yes! Good job Mothim. Now use Gust again!" With all her might Mothim created the biggest tornado yet, which hit Primeape dead on making him fly back and land in front of Nicholas' feet. When he didn't get back up after a few moments Andy called,

"Primeape can no longer battle! Round three goes to Rina."

Nicholas recalled Primeape, briefly thanking him and then taking another Pokeball in hand. Rina squealed and thanked Mothim a hundred times but decided she needed to rest and so recalled her, also taking her next Pokeball in hand.

"Espeon you're up again! Go!" Nicholas released his Espeon again, who was worn out but still had a bit of fight left in it.

'_So he is using Espeon again. We should be able to take it out pretty quickly...' _Rina thought, then sending out her next Pokemon which was Glaceon.

"An Eeveelution battle huh? Pretty interesting Pokemon you have there." Nicholas complimented Glaceon, but Rina saw past it and called out an attack straight away. He could have been trying to soften her up!

"Use your Ice-Shard attack!" Shards of ice came out of Glaceon's mouth, each one hitting Espeon on various parts of its body. Espeon dodged the last few shards gracefully. However, Espeon was still close to collapsing.

"Hit it hard with a Psychic!" Nicholas ordered. Espeon nodded and prepared its attack, taking longer than usual because it was so tired.

"No you don't. Get in there first with your Quick Attack!" Glaceon ran towards Espeon and Espeon then released its Psychic attack. However, Glaceon had just about vanished before the attack hit and then reappeared in front of Espeon, tackling Espeon to the ground. Espeon collapsed beside Glaceon and didn't get back up.

"Espeon can no longer fight; Glaceon wins! Rina has now defeated two Pokemon while Nicholas has already defeated three of Rina's Pokemon. Therefore Nicholas is currently still in the lead." Andy said, his enthusiasm fading when he announced that Nicholas was in the lead. Nicholas recalled Espeon, praising it and then taking his next Pokeball in hand. Rina kept Glaceon out as it was still fully healed.

"Magcargo you are up once more." Nicholas released his tired fire Pokemon onto the field for the second time.

'_I guess he just wants to use the Pokemon that are near fainting, in hope of getting at least one attack in. We're at a disadvantage but Glaceon is way faster than his Magcargo, and his Pokemon is pretty much done for. So this'll be another easy win for us!'_

Rina could hear a bit of cheerleading going on from behind her so she turned around to see what was happening. Tizzy and Tubby were jumping around (well Tubby was doing baby jumps due to his weight) screaming words that didn't rhyme. No surprise there. Next to Tizzy was an unhappy Rikki, who had her chin resting on her right hand, a frown on her face. Rina was drawn back to the battle as she heard a small cry from Glaceon. Rina realised she had been hit by a weak Flamethrower.

"Crap! Sorry Glaceon! Okay use Bite!" Glaceon rushed towards the fire type, baring her teeth. Magcargo was tired, but still attempted to get out of the way from the attack. Unfortunately for Magcargo he was just too slow and so got bitten by Glaceon. Glaceon then slammed her body into Magcargo, finishing him off.

"Magcargo was just too tired to fight back." Andy laughed after he said this. "Glaceon wins again!"

Nicholas grumbled and recalled Magcargo, but this time he didn't praise it. Rina noticed this and glared at him.

"Aren't you going to say anything nice to Magcargo?" Rina questioned.

"He got beaten by an ice-type. What's there to say?" Nicholas asked her. Rikki and Andy listened on while Tizzy carried on cheering for Glaceon.

"Magcargo was in bad shape! He put up a brilliant fight against Kirlia, and defeated Kirlia. It's your fault for bringing him back out when he was so exhausted!" Rina fought back, stepping forward and clenching her fists. Man did she hate this guy. Sparky took this moment to step in and calm down Rina.

"Whatever, it has nothing to do with you. They are my Pokemon and of course I'm _very _nice to them. I don't abuse them or anything like that! They just need to be toughened up. If I always praise my Pokemon they'll become too soft and will eventually go easy on their opponents. I don't care what you think, we train our Pokemon differently so butt out. Let's just carry on with the battle. Go Weavile!"

Sparky growled as the Weavile appeared. It was the Pokemon Sparky had lost to back when it was a Sneasel. The Weavile had a huge scar on his left eye, making him look even scarier and tougher than it is. Rina would have let Sparky battle Weavile, noticing her eagerness to destroy it, but the rules stated that Pokemon couldn't be switched out once on the field; unless they were unable to battle of course.

'_This one looks tons strongest than when it was a Sneasel. And this will definitely be harder since both of our Pokemon are ice-types' _Rina thought while trying to think of a strategy on the spot.

'_She has been having a hard time taking his Pokemon down so I hope she can manage to beat him...' _Rikki thought to herself.

"Glaceon start things of with a Quick Attack!" Glaceon ran halfway across the field, vanished, then reappeared in front of Weavile and then slamming into him. Weavile skidded back a bit but soon shook off the attack.

"That should have done way more damage than it did!" Rina exclaimed. Glaceon looked equally shocked, but Nicholas was anything but shocked.

"It's going to take more than that to hurt Weavile. Use Screech!" Weavile screeched at the top of his voice, right in Glaceon's face. Glaceon shut her eyes and lowered her ears, trying to drown out the sound failing terribly at doing so. It didn't do damage, but it severely decreased Glaceon's defence.

"Now Faint Attack." Weavile got closer to Glaceon, then punched her with intense power. The move couldn't be dodged so Rina let it hit. Glaceon was thrown back but got back up. Weavile looked so confident while Glaceon actually looked scared. With both of them being ice-types, they were even more determined to beat the other, to prove who was a stronger ice type Pokemon.

"There is absolutely no point using an ice-type move since it will do hardly any damage to Weavile. Look's like we have to stick with Quick Attack and Bite... Aw man! Weavile is part dark type so Bite won't do anything either! Our only hope is Quick Attack, so lets do it Glaceon!"

Glaceon nodded and slammed into Weavile again, doing hardly any damage. Rina gritted her teeth and had to admit, this battle was pretty much decided.

"Let's just use Ice Shard anyway Glaceon!" Rina was so desperate to win she would do anything. Glaceon shot sharp pieces of ice at Weavile, which he countered with an Icy Wind attack. Nicholas had never looked so confident; he knew he was going to win this match. Nicholas then whispered something to Weavile and he nodded.

"You know what Rina? I'm going to give you a huge chance here. Weavile is going to stand there and take all the attacks you throw at him. Isn't that right Weavile?" Weavile nodded his head and stood still, not even bracing himself for any attacks Glaceon would hit him with.

"This is obviously a trick but right now it's our only hope. Glaceon keep hitting Weavile with Quick Attack!" Glaceon was hesitant at first as she also knew something was being planned but she obliged anyway. Glaceon ran at Weavile, slamming into him over and over again with everything she had. Weavile was being knocked around but didn't attack back or dodge anything.

"Go on Glaceon, you can do it! Me and Tubby believe in you love!! Yaaay, beat him up!" Tizzy cheered. Rikki watched as Glaceon slammed her body into Weavile repetitively.

'_I've been studying Pokemon nearly my whole life. I know everything about Pokemon, even their moves. Come on Rikki, think! What moves do Weavile learn. There must be a move Nicholas is confident about...' _Rikki thought about the moves used by Weavile often, while Glaceon got a couple more Quick Attacks in. She was getting worn out from all the running and Weavile was also starting to look beaten up. Rikki then stood up and called out to Rina.

"Rina listen to me! I don't think it'd be fair for me to tell you everything but there is a move that Nicholas is planning to use which will finish Glaceon off! Get Glaceon away from Weavile now!!" Rina looked at her quizzically and was about to order Glaceon to get away from Weavile but Nicholas acted fast.

"Quick Weavile, use Revenge!" The attack hit Glaceon and Rina had to admit, the move was extremely powerful. Glaceon was knocked back beside Rina and she didn't get back up.

"What was that??" Rina said, shock evident in her voice. Rina turned to face Rikki as she explained.

"Nicholas knew you were desperate to win, so he knew you would attack again and again if you were given the chance. Glaceon kept on hitting Weavile with Quick Attack – which he was able to take since he is obvious a higher level than Glaceon – and if a Pokemon takes a lot of damage before using Revenge, the power of the move is increased." Rina nodded and sighed. She really should have done research on the moves used by Pokemon. She recalled Glaceon and thanked her. Weavile was pretty worn out but still able to fight, so Nicholas kept him out.

'_I would have a huge advantage if I used Flareon, and I need to keep my last two Pokemon healthy because he still have three Pokemon left. I'm sure Flareon can finish of Weavile with a good Flamethrower..' _Rina took Flareon's Pokeball in hand and was about to release him but Sparky suddenly looked up at Rina, her cheeks sparking. She pointed towards Weavile and balled her paws into little fists. Rina sighed and smiled at her first Pokemon.

"You really want to battle Weavile don't you?" Rina asked. Of course Sparky nodded and looked pleadingly at Rina. Rina put Flareon's Pokeball back on her belt and said Sparky could fight. Sparky jumped onto the field and glared at Weavile; who smirked in return.

"Rina, Flareon could have beaten Weavile easily. Why didn't you send out Flareon?" Rikki asked.

"When Weavile was still a Sneasel, Sparky had a battle with it and lost quite badly. Sparky really wants to beat him, how could I say no?" Rikki sighed and admitted Rina had a good point.

"Weavile, lets beat this rat again. Start off with an Icy Wind!" Weavile let loose a gust of cold air which made everyone shiver.

"Dodge it and use Thunder punch!" Sparky jumped out of the way from the cold air and balled her right paw into a fist, gathering electricity. Sparky punched Weavile in the stomach, pushing Weavile back. Weavile's body cackled with electricity; the attack had paralyzed him. Since Lightning from Team Thunder had taught Sparky the move, she had perfected it along with the other attack he taught her; Dig.

"Use Assurance!" Weavile moved towards Sparky, but stopped and was unable to move because the paralyze had kicked in.

"Hit him with Iron Tail while he can't move!" Sparky's heart shaped tail lit up and she smacked Weavile with her glowing tail. The attack was super effective but Weavile was still standing.

'_I thought that would have been enough to finish this!' _Rina thought to herself.

"Faint Attack." Weavile successfully hit Sparky with the move. Sparky was sent flying backwards but she soon got back up. Weavile's attacks weren't as powerful as normal because he was already badly beaten.

"Quick Attack now!" Sparky ran at Weavile, vanishing halfway then appearing right in front of Weavile, slamming him into Nicholas. Nicholas was pushed off of his feet by the force, Weavile sprawled across Nicholas, unconscious. Nicholas picked up Weavile and recalled him, quietly thanking him.

Sparky began jumping for joy happily because she had beaten Weavile. Even if Glaceon had done most of the work, Sparky had finished him off completely. Tizzy and Tubby joined in from where they were standing. Tubby was spinning Tizzy around and her legs were flailing everywhere. Rikki was doing her best to avoid being kicked in the head by Tizzy.

"Both sides have two Pokemon left! Please send out your next Pokemon." Rina stuck with Sparky while Nicholas sent out a Pokemon Rina had seen him use before; Luxray. Luxray's intimidation ability kicked in, lowering Sparky's attack slightly.

"Don't celebrate now. You all thought my Weavile was tough; well to be honest Luxray is my strongest Pokemon." The trademark smirk on Nicholas' face worried Rina. He was such a confident trainer and this was apparently his strongest Pokemon. They both had two Pokemon left and Rina badly wanted to beat him.

"Luxray let's start things off this time. Attack the Pikachu with Swagger to confuse her." Luxray looked straight into Sparky's eyes and started glowing red. Before Sparky could get hit by the attack Rina told her to use Dig to get away.

Sparky dug underground and made her way over to Luxray.

"Damn, it knows a ground type move. Luxray try and sense where Pikachu is and avoid the attack." Luxray closed his eyes and focused on the movements underground.

"Do it!" Sparky emerged underneath Luxray's front paw, knocking him off of his feet. The attack done quite a bit of damage, making Nicholas frown.

'_That must have been a critical hit because that attack should have been quite weak. Luck seems to be on Rina's side, so we'll have to change things.' _Nicholas thought while Luxray got back on his feet.

"Alright then, let's attack hard. Crunch!" Luxray sprinted towards Sparky with incredible speed, baring his teeth and sinking them into Sparky's tail. Sparky cried out in pain and tried to shake Luxray off.

"Calm down and use Thunder Punch!" Sparky's fist gathered electricity, and then she punched Luxray in the cheek, forcing him to release her tail. The attack did nothing at all but the aim was to just get Luxray off of Sparky.

"Iron Tail!" Rina's confidence was slowly coming back, but soon faded when Sparky's tail didn't light up for the attack. Her tail was too badly damaged and she wasn't able to use the attack without her wincing in pain.

"Crap. That's not good." Rikki muttered. Oblivious to the current situation, Tizzy and Tubby were still doing random cheerleading for Glaceon.

"Tizzy, Glaceon finished battling ages ago! Sparky is up now!!" Rikki yelled, slightly annoyed at her, but it was rather amusing at the same time.

"Oh. Go Sparky, you rock my socks!!" Tizzy grinned stupidly and started doing the Macarena dance, Tubby struggling to join in because of his stubby arms.

"Do another Dig then!" Sparky jumped into one of the holes she had made earlier and dug a different tunnel, aiming to reach where Luxray was standing.

"Just take the attack and then use Charge. I know you can do it." Nicholas said. Luxray didn't dodge the Dig attack and was once again knocked off of his feet. Throughout the attack Luxray sparked his body with electricity so his electric moves would be more powerful.

"Use Thunder Fang!" Luxray charged at Sparky baring his teeth. The two teeth at the side were covered in electricity and Sparky soon reacted. She didn't want to get bitten again! She ran away from Luxray using Quick Attack for as long as she could, Luxray tailing behind her. Sparky's small paws soon began to hurt and she was forced to stop running, however Luxray's paws were much larger and he soon caught up. He bit down onto Sparky's back, forcing Sparky to the ground. Sparky struggled under Luxray's weight as Luxray now had his front paws pressed onto Sparky's back, pinning her down.

Rina couldn't think of any attacks that would help Sparky at this moment. The only attack was Iron Tail but her tail was too damaged for that. And Nicholas certainly didn't help. He didn't care about Sparky, he just wanted to win.

"Now use Crunch again!" Luxray bit down onto Sparky's back again, causing more pain to shoot through Sparky's back.

"Rina, I know you want to win but I think you should forfeit this round! Sparky can't do anything and she is in real pain!" Rikki suggested. Rina was already considering this though.

"Rina, I have to agree with Rikki. But if you do forfeit this round, the win for the round will automatically go to Luxray, and Sparky won't be allowed to participate in the next battle." Andy told her. Rina hated seeing her best friend in pain and decided she had no other choice.

"Alright I forfeit this match." Rina murmured. Nicholas looked shocked at this, but admitted to himself if that was him he would have done the same thing. Luxray took his paws off of Sparky and backed off as Rina approached Sparky and picked her up.

"I'm sorry. I know you wanted to win but you were in so much pain." Sparky smiled and shook her head, trying to comfort Rina. Sparky's tail was slightly bent at the end and the fur on her back was sticking up. All in all she looked pretty bad. There was no way she could have lasted any longer. Rina gave Sparky to Rikki so she could look after her while Rina psyched herself up for the last battle. She only had Flareon left while Nicholas _still _had two Pokemon left. Rina took out her last Pokeball and threw it.

"Flareon it's all up to you!" Flareon appeared and scanned her opponent carefully.

"Another Eeveelution. Just because this is your last Pokemon doesn't mean I'm going to go easy on you. I want to win this just as much as you do."

"I wouldn't want you to. I don't need sympathy, especially from the likes of you. Flareon start things off with a Flamethrower!" Flareon opened its mouth and shot fiery flames right at Luxray. The flames hit him right in the face but Luxray just stood there, taking the attack.

"Nice job Luxray. Now power up again with another Charge." Luxray's body crackled with electricity as he stored up the power, waiting to release it later on.

"That could cause a few problems for us. We need to keep on attacking. Flareon, do a Quick Attack!" Flareon ran at Luxray, disappearing half way then reappearing in front of Luxray. Flareon slammed his body into Luxray and pushed him back. Flareon's body started crackling with electricity and he winced slightly. Flareon had been paralyzed upon the impact.

"I've told you before, it's going to take a lot more than that to take out Luxray. I actually feel sorry for you Rina. You have no idea what you're up against and you don't have much chance of beating me. No offence." Nicholas said. Rina gritted her teeth but decided not to release her anger.

"Luxray lets do a Thunder Fang." Luxray's teeth were coated in electricity as he moved closer to Flareon.

"Jump out of the way and use Sand Attack!" Flareon jumped to the side to dodge the attack and then kicked sand into Luxray's face using his hind legs. Luxray shook his head, getting rid of some of the sand particles.

"Pin Flareon down and use Thunder Fang!" Luxray jumped onto Flareon viciously and used his two front paws to pin down Flareon, then using Thunder Fang on Flareon. Rina gasped as she was faced with the same situation Sparky had been put in earlier. Flareon tried to break free but the paralyze stopped him from doing so.

"Thunder Fang again." Luxray bit down onto Flareon again, making Flareon cry out in pain. The attack was even more powerful because Luxray had used Charge earlier on to increase her electric power. Flareon had taken enough damage to knock him unconscious. Rina said nothing as Luxray took his paws off of Flareon and walked over to Nicholas. Rina pulled out Flareon's Pokeball and recalled him.

"Good battle, I guess. Your Pokemon need quite a lot more training before they even become half as strong as mine. I would also evolve your Pikachu, Staravia and Kirlia soon. Then they might actually stand a chance. See you around." Nicholas walked off with Luxray following behind.

Andy, Rikki, Tizzy and Tubby approached Rina and Rikki put her hand on Rina's shoulder. She smiled sympathetically at her and Tubby gave Rina a bear hug.

"Are you okay?" Andy asked. Rina hadn't said anything since Flareon was defeated. She just stared into space, deep in thought.

"I'm fine." Rina took Sparky in her arms and walked off, leaving her friends confused. She went in the direction of the city.

"Where are you going Rina?" Tizzy asked, unaware of the sadness in Rina's voice.

"Pokemon Centre." Rina replied flatly.

**A/N: Long chapter!! Over 6000 words. Such an accomplishment for me :D. And so you finally get to see the full on battle between Nicholas and Rina. I didn't make Rina lose because Ash lost against Paul. I simply made her lose because I don't want her too be a Mary-Sue. Uber Pokemon and always winning. It also leads up to other things. So Sparky is in bad shape I see? Oh dear. Nicholas is mean isn't he?! That was such a violent attack on Sparky and Flareon!**

**This is getting too long for my liking so one last note. Year 11 means tons of mocks so all this week and next I have quite a few exams that I will actually be revising for so I'm not too sure how much spare time I'll have for writing. I'll update soon after Christmas though! Read and review ;)**

**Sarah.**


	28. A Different Sky

The group had followed Rina to the Pokemon Centre about 15 minutes after she had walked off, so she would have some time alone. When they entered the Pokemon Centre they found her sitting miserably on a sofa in the lobby. She had her chin resting in her hands and Sparky wasn't with her. The lobby was quite empty; probably because it was around midday and most people chose this time to challenge Gym Leaders. The small group approached Rina and sat with her.

"How're the Pokemon?" Andy asked carefully. Rina sat back and looked from Rikki, to Tizzy and then her eyes rested on Andy.

"I don't know yet. It could be another hour before Nurse Joy is finished checking them over." Rina replied glumly.

"Hey, don't be down! Since it could take a while let's go and eat! I saw a really cute looking cake shop!" Tizzy licked her lips and pleaded with her friends.

"Alright then, I'll just go and tell Nurse Joy." Rina made the decision and got up to tell Nurse Joy they would be back soon.

Once she was done, the small group left the Centre and Tizzy led the way to the shop. She let Tubby out of his Pokeball (she had to recall him earlier because he was too big for the Pokemon Centre) and told him about all the cakes she had gotten a look at in the window. It made Rina feel better when she entered the cake shop. It _was _cute! The tables had colourful table cloths on them and strawberries were painted on the walls. The waitresses were all wearing white and pink dresses with a frilly apron at the front.

"I want this shop." Rina exclaimed.

"It's so... girly!" Andy huffed.

"Be quiet. I'm more of a tom boy but I have to admit, this place is cute." Rikki said.

"What do you think Tizzy?" Rina asked.

No answer.

Rina turned to face the door and found that it was no longer visible. Instead a blue blob replaced it. She walked over to the window and Rikki and Andy followed her. What they saw was normal to them, but people passing by stopped to take photos. Tizzy was desperately trying to squeeze her over-sized friend into the shop.

"Look's like we'll be sitting on the tables outside...like all the other times we stop and eat in a public place." Rikki remarked.

-

"I am absolutely stuffed!" Tizzy giggled as the group entered the Pokemon Centre.

"I'm not surprised. You and Tubby ate half of the shop!" Rina said.

"How did you afford that much cake anyway?" Rikki inquired.

"I won a few battles before I met up with you guys and earned quite a lot of money!"

When Nurse Joy noticed Rina enter she called her over, and Rina wasted no time going to the desk.

"Nurse Joy, how are my Pokemon?" Rina asked a worried expression on her face.

"I'm afraid they were all in very bad condition. Rina, whatever battles you've been having have really taken their toll on your Pokemon. They need to rest so they'll have to stay here for the night. And your Pikachu's tail needs time to heal." Rina wanted to cry at the thought of her Pokemon suffering. She knew they were injured but not this much.

"What about my Mothim?" Rikki asked.

"Oh so she is yours? Well she wasn't as bad as Rina's Pokemon but she needs rest too. I've put all of your Pokemon in the play area with the other Pokemon who are staying."

"Play area?" Andy said.

"Yes. Its a fairly large room with toys and all sorts of entertainment for the Pokemon. Any Pokemon who need to relax and take it easy usually go there." Nurse Joy explained, a small smile on her face.

"Our Pokemon could all do with a relaxation day. I can't remember the last time my Pokemon took a day off. Nurse Joy, do you think I could leave my other Pokemon here?" Rikki asked. Nurse Joy said it was fine and took Rikki's Pokeballs. Andy and Tizzy decided to leave Ivysaur and Tubby there too, since it was only fair that their Pokemon had some fun too. In the end Tubby had to go out into the garden because of his large size, where he fell asleep under a tree.

"You can pick them up tomorrow when Mothim and Rina's Pokemon are fully healed."

Rina thanked Nurse Joy and they went to sit down. Rina apologised to Rikki for causing her Mothim to become injured, but Rikki told her not to worry about it. She assured Rina that the Pokemon would be fine. The group chatted idly and realised they still had loads of time to kill. Andy suggested they go to the gym and see if there were any battles going on. After all, if Rina watched the gym leader battle someone else she would get an idea of what to expect. The city was practically empty, and the only conclusion Andy could come up with was that everyone was watching a battle somewhere - most likely the gym. When Rina and the others were about halfway to the gym they were suddenly stopped by two people who Rina knew.

"Well, I haven't seen you in a while." Ebony smirked.

"Rina, who are they?" Rikki asked her friend.

"That's Karumo and Ebony, members of Team Elemental." Rina grumbled. Rikki mouthed the word "oh" and then there was silence.

"Cookie?" Tizzy sped up to Karumo (pulling Andy along with her) and offered him a white chocolate chip cookie from her small bag. He smiled wildly and was about to accept it when Ebony smacked him on the back of his head.

"Karumo! We are the bad guys; we don't accept cookies from little girls with odd hair."

Tizzy shrugged her shoulders and skipped back to her friends while eating the cookie like she had been deprived of food her entire life.

"Sorry to leave this exciting gathering so soon, but we want to go to the gym and watch the match that is probably going on and we're missing it." Rikki tried to barge past Karumo but he forcefully pushed her, making her drop on the floor on her bum. Man was he strong for a guy who looked so wimpy.

"You're gonna pay for that!" Rikki got to her feet and balled her right hand into a fist, ready to punch Karumo in the face. Rina grabbed her and held her back. Ebony snickered and made a comment to Karumo which the others didn't quite catch. Karumo and Ebony each took a Pokeball and released their Pokemon. Karumo's Pokemon was a Blastoise while Ebony used her Flygon. Rina, Rikki and Andy growled because they didn't have any Pokemon with them, while Tizzy had forgotten all about that. She reached into her bag and pulled out a red apple, mistaking it for Tubby's Pokeball. She then did something that shocked everyone who knew her: she dropped the rope that was tied around Andy's waist. The relief on his face was priceless.

"Go Tubby! Let's kick some butt!" Tizzy threw the apple which hit Karumo in the stomach, making him clutch the spot where he was hit. She giggled and said "oops" and ran to collect her apple which had rolled away from Karumo. Ignoring Tizzy's actions, Rikki spoke.

"Look, we don't have any Pokemon with us so we are in no position to battle. Can we do this another time?"

"We're Team Elemental; do you think we are going to call off this fight because you petty kids don't have any Pokemon at hand?" Ebony asked. It was most likely a rhetorical question but Andy answered anyway.

"Yes?"

"PRETTY TURTLE!" Tizzy was admiring Blastoise and kept touching his shell. Karumo wasn't too thrilled that his newest rival was getting along with his starter Pokemon, and like he did with Rikki he shoved her. Hard. Tizzy squealed as she fell to the floor and almost bashed her head on the concrete floor. Andy rushed her to help her up. He may not have been pleased with being dragged around by Tizzy, but they had grown quite close during their time spent together.

"Hey!" Rikki screamed at Karumo. "I may seem like I despise her, but Tizzy is my _friend _and **no-one **pushes her around like that! When I get my hands on you, you better hope an Officer Jenny isn't around!" This was a new side to Rikki. She had always made out that Tizzy was just a creepy girl but deep down she cared for her as a friend, just like she cared for Rina and even Andy. She hadn't spent much time with Tizzy and Andy but she had warmed up to them. The fierce looking Blastoise and Flygon kept the group from attempting to run away, which was Rina's only plan right now.

"I'm getting bored and it's a bit cold so let's just proceed with our mission given to us by Terry. We have lost track of Sky and we have no clue on her whereabouts so we basically have to capture Rina and get information out of her." Karumo said proudly. Ebony's eyes became wide and her face went slightly red with anger.

"You moron! You just told them our whole plan!"

"I did?" Karumo asked innocently.

"Oh well, let's just get this over with. Flygon use your Hyper Beam!" Ebony ordered.

"And Blastoise use Earthquake!" Karumo said eagerly. The Earthquake attack was released first and the ground shook violently, making the four teenagers stumble and lose their balance and then fall to the floor like little flies being sprayed with a deadly chemical. Karumo and Ebony were probably used to this attack since they didn't even flinch. The Hyper Beam then shot towards the helpless group, but it hit the floor a few feet away from them.

"That was just a warning. We'll attack you mercilessly next time unless Rina here agrees to join us on a not so luxury trip to Terry's place." Karumo said.

"I don't even know where Sky is! Are you too dumb to realise that? She is no longer travelling with me so how would I know?!" Rina argued.

"You're lying!" Ebony declared.

"If you want me that badly why not track me down instead of hassling my ex-friend and her travel partners?" Sky said while she came out from her hiding place which was an alley way nearby. With her was a girl much taller than Sky. She had waist-length black shiny hair and green eyes. She was wearing a green checkered dress with long white socks and black ballet pumps. A elegant Ninetales sat on the floor next to Sky. A Piplup stood next to the other girl and she was also carrying a baby Cleffa.

"Her Vulpix must have evolved..." Rina murmured. Rikki double-checked with Rina that the girl was Sky and Rina also said she had no idea who the older girl was.

"Sky! It's good to see you." Rina smiled.

Sky stared at her and scoffed. "I don't want anything to do with you Rina. I have a new friend now." Sky said rudely. Rina scowled and Rikki took notice of the sudden hatred in Sky's eyes.

"All because I kissed your crush? It's not my fault he fancied me and not you." Rina smirked. Sky had suddenly gone from being the sweet vulnerable victim to the ignorant teen. Rina guessed it was something to do with her being with the older girl. She looked posh and stuck-up; the type of people Rina didn't like.

"He only kissed you because you flirted with him! You acted like you couldn't stand him but I knew you loved the attention!" Sky argued back. Andy could almost see the fire in the girls' eyes so he decided to break it up.

"Okay let's all calm down and take deep breaths..." He breathed in. "One..."

"We are still here you know!!" Ebony screamed. Every stopped what they were doing and faced her.

"You can all go as soon as Sky agrees to come with us. So, Sky? What do you say?" Ebony asked sweetly.

"Yeah, right. I wouldn't come with you losers in a million years! I know what you want from me: Mew. I don't know if you already know this but I captured Mew." Sky declared proudly.

Rikki smacked her own forehead and sighed. "Idiot..." she whispered.

"Oh so you have Mew with you?! Well that makes our job easier!" Karumo said.

Realising she just gave away her secret, she backed off a bit. No-one was supposed to know she had Mew, other than Rina of course since she was present at the time. Sky's new friend hadn't said a word since she arrived with Sky, she just stood there acting like a super model who everyone adored. Sky took out a Pokeball and released the pink cat-like Mew.

"Ooo! How nice of you to hand it over!" Karumo said excitedly.

"Flygon, Blastoise. Grab that Pokemon and do not let it go!" Ebony ordered. Both Pokemon rushed towards Mew, who was doing back flips in the air, due to her playful nature.

"Mew how about we send them on a little holiday? Let's see...ah! Teleport those evil people to Snowpoint City." Mew nodded and in a flash Team Elemental and their Pokemon were gone.

"That should hold them off for a while..." Sky said, recalling Mew. She smiled at her new friend and her new friend grinned back. She seemed friendly towards Sky even though they looked odd together. Sky was a thirteen year old with barely any sense of fashion, while this older girl was well groomed, had perfect skin and expensive clothes. Rina and Rikki walked towards Tizzy and Andy who were standing further away.

"Well, we can go now since that's all over." Rikki said as her group of friends gathered together.

"Not so fast! Do you honestly think I'm going to let you go after what you said?" Sky quickly said, directing the question at Rina. Rina looked confused but then understood what she was talking about. Before she could reply Rikki butted in.

"Look, we have places to be and things to do. Rina and you obviously aren't friends anymore so just drop it and get on with your life." Rikki said simply.

"And who are you?" Sky asked, raising and eyebrow.

"My name is Rikki, not that it is any of your business."

"And him?" Sky asked pointing to Andy.

"Oh come on! His name is Andy. Does any of this matter?!" Rikki threw her arms up and was becoming impatient. Sky then made eye contact with Tizzy.

"Hiya Sky! I have missed you! Do you want a cookie?" Tizzy stepped forward to approach Sky but Rina took her arm and held her back. Rina had always noticed Sky's dislike towards Tizzy and Tizzy had never caught on.

"I haven't missed you." Sky's friend laughed loudly at Tizzy; who was oblivious to Sky's rudeness.

"And why are you laughing?" Rikki bitterly said. The girl looked appalled for a moment.

"No-one talks to me like that! Do you know who I am??" Rikki shook her head. "I am Alyssia Gordon and _every one _should treat me with respect!" Rikki scoffed and laughed at her. The girl – now known to be named Alyssia – asked Sky more about Rina and what happened. Sky told Alyssia everything and even added in some extra details that she had made up. Alyssia gasped when necessary and kept glaring daggers at Rina every so often. When Sky added that Nicholas and Rina were planning on taking their relationship MUCH further, Rina got annoyed.

"That is not true and you know it! For a thirteen year old you sure are catty." Rina then added on something that was a bit immature, but she didn't care. "I bet you don't even know what that word means!"

"So what if I don't? I'd rather be clueless than be a _slut_." Sky retorted. Alyssia once again laughed loudly and her Pokemon laughed with her. Ninetales sat on the sidelines not wanting to get involved or laugh at Rina. Rina had done nothing wrong to the fox Pokemon so there was no need to stick up for her trainer in this situation.

"Hey kid. You better keep your mouth shut from now on. No-one insults my friends and gets away with it. I'm not being big headed but I hardly ever lose a fight and you do not want to get on the wrong side of me. Just because Nicholas had a thing for Rina and not you, doesn't mean you have the right to make up stories and call Rina a slut. She is mature, unlike you. To be totally honest, I don't blame him for not liking you. Look at you, you're pathetic." Rikki took a breath after her long speech and felt good about herself. Sky was speechless for a moment but then charged towards Rikki and slapped her. Rikki was shell-shocked and it took some time for her to register what had just happened. Rina was also shocked at Sky's actions, and Sky was a bit too.

"That's it." Rikki kicked Sky in the stomach and pushed her onto the ground. Sky managed to pull Rikki down with her and a fight soon took place.

Sky was mainly pulling at Rikki's hair and trying to stop Rikki from doing much damage to her. Rikki was violently scratching Sky's face and also pulled her hair a few times. Alyssia stood back not wanting to get caught up in the fight. Rina made several attempts to pull Rikki off of Sky but she also didn't want to get too close in case she got hurt. Tizzy was sitting down a few feet away from the fight reading a magazine. It was the latest issue of 'Sinnoh Weekly'. Andy was sat next to her watching the fight.

"Andy, you're a guy. Come and help me!" Rina yelled desperately as she planned a way of getting close enough to Rikki to pull her away from Sky.

"Like you said; I'm a guy! What guy doesn't enjoy watching cat fights?" Andy grinned as he cheered on Rikki.

"Oh my gosh!!" Tizzy squealed, jumping up from the floor. "The girl tried to dye her hair blonde after finding out her crush loved girls with blonde hair. But the dye turned out to be bright orange! In the end her crush dissed her and called her a carrot head! Hahahahahaha! What a silly girl." Tizzy dropped to the floor and rolled around laughing.

Alyssia was still standing there watching Rina grab hold of Rikki's shoulders and yanking her off of Sky. Sky started to crawl away but Rikki lunged for her and grabbed her arm, pulling her back into the fight.

"Where is my free lollipop?! Andy! The shop people didn't give me my free gift: a red lollipop! Do something!" Tizzy complained. Andy ignored her and carried on watching the fight which was amusing him.

Sky was screaming while kicking her legs randomly, and at the same time she was pushing Rikki. Rikki was starting to calm down as she was pleased at the sight of Sky having a huge scratch on her cheek that was starting to bleed. Rina forcefully grabbed Rikki and got her off of Sky. Rikki did nothing but watch as Sky scrambled to her feet, tears streaming down her face. She ran to Alyssia and the older girl put a comforting arm around Sky's shoulders.

"You'll pay for that." Alyssia sneered.

"Whatever, she deserved that. I didn't even hurt her that much. All I did was leave a scratch."

Alyssia and Sky walked off and Rikki's friends gathered around her. Rikki self-consciously fixed her hair and fixed her clothes. She wasn't injured as the fight hadn't been as serious as it looked. The group noticed several teenagers and kids scattered around the area. It seemed as if they had watched the fight and enjoyed watching it. To them it was entertaining.

"I would be disappointed in you, but Sky did deserve that. After starting gossip like that she had it coming." Rina said.

"I made sure not to hurt her too badly. Sky isn't worth the trouble. Its that Alyssia girl I'm worrying about now. She said I will pay for what I done, who knows what she has planned for me if we ever bump into each other."

"There is no point worrying about it now. Luckily for you a police officer didn't notice the fight going on. If they had you'd be in serious trouble now." Andy said, a small smile on his face. Rikki laughed and agreed with him. Rina looked at her watch and saw that quite a lot of time had passed since leaving the Pokemon Centre.

"I'm getting hungry. How about we go and get something to eat and head back to the Pokemon Centre afterwards? I think Rikki could do with a rest. We all saw a different side of her today. Not only did she stick up for me but she stuck up for Tizzy!" Rikki looked around nervously and replied,

"Yeah well, you won't see the soft side of me again." They all laughed at her and began walking around to find a place to eat.

"Andy?" Tizzy said his name with a serious face and he looked at her seriously.

"Yes Tizzy?"

"Tomorrow we shall sue that shop man for stealing my lollipop that I paid for!" She kept a serious face and all Andy could do was sigh.

'_Has she already forgotten that the lollipop was free?' _

**A/N: I didn't think I'd actually update before Christmas xD So Karumo, Ebony and Sky make an appearance along with Alyssia! This chapter was quite different from the rest because it involved a ****human ****fight and not a Pokemon ****fight! ****I hope that didn't put any of you off... It seems as if Sky has changed incredibly! I might update again before Christmas but in case I don't... Merry Christmas! A present that I want from all of you is reviews! It'd make me happy (:**

**You know what else would make me happy? If you lovely readers check out "Tizzy's Challenges" by Crazy Amazing. As you can probably tell it's all based on Tizzy and her view of the journey. It's an amazing story so go and read it and please leave a review!**

**Sarah.**


	29. Staravia's New Wings!

After yesterday's antics the group had eaten and returned to the Pokemon Centre where they found out Rina's Pokemon and Mothim still needed rest and wouldn't be able to leave the play area until the morning. They all fell asleep quite quickly because the day had worn them out - especially Rikki.

In the morning Tizzy and Andy were still fast asleep so Rina and Rikki left them for a bit longer while they collected all the Pokemon. It was still early in the morning so only a couple of travellers were there, which meant Nurse Joy could see to the girls straight away.

"Your Pokemon are at full health and ready for any battles!" Nurse Joy said with a smile on her face.

"So I can battle the Gym Leader today right?" Rina double-checked and Nurse Joy confirmed it should be fine. She then went out the back and came back with all the Pokeballs. Sparky jumped onto the counter and into Rina's arms.

"Sparky I missed you so much! How's your tail?"

"Pi!" Sparky patted Rina's cheek with her paw and the girls collected their Pokeballs, also taking the Pokeballs which contained Ivysaur and Tubby.

They walked back upstairs and down the long corridor until they reached room thirty-seven. When they entered Andy and Tizzy were up and ready. Rina also noticed the rope was no where in sight. Maybe Tizzy trusted Andy enough to know he wouldn't try and leg it when any possible time came? Rina handed over the Pokeballs and Andy released his Ivysaur who only looked half-pleased to be back with his owner. Tizzy agreed to willingly wait until they got outside before she let out Tubby.

-

The group had made it to the Gym with no problems this time and luckily for Rina the Gym Leader was free. Rikki, Andy, Tizzy, Ivysaur and Tubby sat in the stands along with a crowd of other people who had come to watch. Because the Gym Leader was popular and none of the strangers knew Rina, the crowd of people didn't cheer for her. Rina and Crasher Wake – the Gym Leader – introduced themselves to each other and the judge explained the rules that were used for nearly every gym battle.

"Each trainer will use three Pokemon each. There is no time limit and items cannot be used. Only the challenger can switch Pokemon during a battle and when all of one side's Pokemon are unable to battle will the match end. Trainers call out your first Pokemon!"

"Gyarados, on the water!" Crasher Wake's Gyarados appeared in the water and let out a roar.

"Okay then, I think I will start with Staravia!" Rina's Staravia flapped her wings and inspected her opponent.

"Let the battle begin!" The judge declared.

"Gyarados let's show them a thing or two. Start off with your Dragon Dance!" Gyarados' body was surrounded by blue orbs and he started wiggling from side to side. The orbs finally faded as his attack and speed was increased.

"Now use Dragon Rage!" Gyarados launched powerful shock waves at Staravia.

"Dodge that by using Double Team!" Staravia spread her wings out straight and made several copies of herself. The shock waves knocked out a few of the copies and luckily Staravia hadn't been found yet.

"Aerial Ace!" The copies disappeared and Staravia flew down on Gyarados, striking him on the head. Gyarados roared in pain and Crasher Wake ordered him to use Ice Fang. Gyarados was even faster than usual and his fangs were covered in ice. Staravia tried to fly away but Gyarados managed to bite down on Staravia and Staravia plummeted into the water.

"Not good. That attack was super effective and Gyarados' stat change made it even more powerful. Maybe Rina should have thought this through better." Andy said more so to himself. Rikki heard him and glared at him.

"She'll do just fine." Tizzy nodded her head as a sign that she agreed with Rikki.

"Gyarados use Twister in the water!" Gyarados' tail spun round and created a twister of water. No-one could see what was happening to Staravia, but the cry she gave signalled the attack had hit. Crasher Wake laughed hysterically as Rina looked on, not knowing what to do.

"Staravia are you okay?" Rina yelled. Seconds later Staravia flew out of the water breathing heavily. She had only took so much damage because Gyarados' stats have been increased.

"Use Quick Attack!" Staravia flew towards Gyarados and struck him on the head, causing a critical hit. Staravia's body suddenly shone really brightly. Her whole body grew larger and her wings became twice the size. The crest on her head grew larger and when the light faded a Staraptor appeared.

"Awesome! You couldn't have had better timing." Rina grinned and Staraptor cawed back happily.

"Well it seems this could get even more interesting now that your Staravia has evolved. However, she is still very weak. Hahahahahaha!" Crasher Wake pointed out.

"As is your Gyarados. I'm sorry Staraptor but if you take one more hit you'll be toast! So let's do as much damage as possible with a Brave Bird!" Staraptor nodded and pulled her wings back so they were firmly at the side of her body. Her large body was enveloped in a blue light as she flew towards Gyarados. Gyarados moved aside but Staraptor did a u-turn and hit him in the centre of his snake-like body and he roared as he collapsed into the water. Staraptor took recoil damage and also fell into the water. When both Pokemon had risen up to the surface the judge declared they could both no longer fight and so this round was a tie.

"Staraptor you did really well." Rina said as she recalled her and put her ball away.

"Gyarados my friend. That was a job well done." Crasher Wake praised as his Pokemon was sucked into the ball.

Rina threw her next Pokeball and out came Kirlia, while Crasher Wake released the Pokemon Rina knew she'd have problems with: Quagsire. He was smiling stupidly as he appeared.

"Oh well that's a relief. Most challengers send out their grass types and pulverize my Quagsire in one hit! Thank you for not being another one of those typical people." Crasher Wake grinned. Rina laughed nervously.

'_If I had a grass type I would send it out and be a "typical" person...'_

"Kirlia blast that overly happy thing with a Psychic!" Kirlia's eyes flashed blue and so did the outline of Quagsire's body. "Now throw it!" Kirlia used his psychic energy to throw Quagsire into the water, who was smiling even though he took damage.

"Get back on your float and use Rain Dance." Quagsire jumped out of the water and landed on his float with a thud. He then proceeded to a freakish dance which involved swaying from side to side, and then dancing in circles while waving his arms around. Once he finished dancing rain started to pour down heavily, but only on the battle field which meant no one but the Pokemon got wet.

"If I remember correctly all water type moves will be made stronger for a while. I think now would be a good time to use that move we have been practicing. Kirlia hit it with Magical Leaf!" Crasher Wake's jaw dropped as Quagsire was hit with many sharp leaves. He cried out and fell into the water, although he soon got back up.

"And I was beginning to think you weren't the average challenger. You may not have a grass type but you have grass type moves! Water Gun now!" Quagsire was surprisingly fast as he shot a blast of water right into Kirlia's face, knocking Kirlia off of his feet. Kirlia got back up and waited for Rina to tell him what to do next.

"Kirlia use Magical Leaf again!" Kirlia scattered leaves everywhere that chased after Quagsire. The fish Pokemon tried to dodge but the leaves hit him dead on.

"That move cannot be dodged. I thought a gym leaders Pokemon would know that." Rina smirked. Crasher Wake's cheeks were tinted pink. Rina was unsure if this was because he was angry or embarrassed.

"Quagsire dive into the water!" Quagsire did as Wake told it to do and dived in. Kirlia looked around but saw no sign of his opponent. Kirlia was beginning to panic and looked desperately at Rina.

"Calm down and try to sense where Quagsire is!" Kirlia closed his eyes and focused his psychic powers, trying to use his aura to sense Quagsire. By now the rain had died down.

"Now Quagsire, Mud Bomb!" Quagsire leapt out of the water from behind Kirlia and launched a strong ball of mud at Kirlia.

"Kirlia behind you!" Rina yelled.

But it was too late.

Kirlia turned around and came face to face with a load of mud. It covered Kirlia's eyes and then Quagsire hit again with a Slam. The crowd went wild as they cheered on Wake and Quagsire. Kirlia went flying into the water and resurfaced minutes later. The water had washed the mud off of Kirlia's eyes but he was still worn out. Rikki, Tizzy, Andy and the Pokemon cheered just as loud for Rina and Kirlia.

"Psychic!" Kirlia's eyes flashed blue and so did Quagsire. Kirlia chucked Quagsire into the water who caused a huge splash. Both Pokemon were breathing heavily and struggled to get back onto their platforms. Kirlia then dropped on the platform out cold. The judge was about to announce that Quagsire was the winner, but he then dropped too.

"And so this round ends in another draw! The final round will really put pressure on the challenger because it's Crasher Wakes last Pokemon and I must say, she is a very powerful Pokemon and is tough to beat! Can the challenger win?" The judge yelled, adding drama to the battle. Both Pokemon had been called back to their Pokeballs and Rina glared at the judge.

"Thanks. What a way to boost my confidence. No worries though, I've saved my best until last too!"

"And I can bet your strongest Pokemon is that Pikachu, am I right?" Crasher Wake asked as he grabbed his last Pokeball.

"Well done Wake. You have a brain! Five points to you!" Rina said sarcastically as her friends and Sparky laughed. She was now annoyed because of the judge and his stupid words that took away some of her confidence. Wake grinned and replied,

"I won't take that to heart. Sarcasm had always amused me. Moving on, lets start! Floatzel on the water!"

"Sparky let's show them a thing or two!" Sparky leapt onto her platform and looked carefully at her opponent, who was twice of the size of her.

"Since this is the last round and you're up against my unbeatable Pokemon, I will allow you to go first! Hahahahahaha!" Crasher Wake did his usual laugh as Rina glared at him.

"Let's wipe that smile off of his face. Iron Tail!" Sparky's tail had a metallic look as she somersaulted in the air twice and swung her tail.

"Rebound it." Floatzel's floatation sac doubled in size and when Sparky attacked she bounced right off of Floatzel and skidded back onto her platform.

"What the hell?! Is that even allowed??" Rina yelled at the biased judge.

"Of course it is. They were simply using Floatzel's body to their advantage. Don't be a sore loser!" The judge grinned and the crowd snickered. The medium sized audience were on Wake's side while Rina only three people cheering for her, one who was completely weird. Three guesses who the weird one was.

"If you ask me, that was a pretty cheap tactic." Rikki commented. Andy nodded his head after she said that.

"How am I supposed to attack Floatzel when all she has to do is enlarge that thing around her neck and send Sparky flying?" Rina had a small tantrum and Sparky sighed at her.

"While she is calming down increase your stats with Bulk Up!" Wake ordered. Floatzel nodded and did a muscular pose with her arms. She tensed her 'muscles' and the outline of her body glowed red as she boosted her attack and speed.

"Rina get it together! Concentrate on the battle!" Rikki yelled, snapping Rina out of her thoughts.

"Pretty red colour! Look Tubby, she looks like a lit up Christmas tree!" Tizzy giggled and Tubby laughed with her.

"What a lame joke..." Andy commented.

"What was that?" Tizzy asked sweetly.

"N-nothing." Andy stammered.

"Sparky let's try your Thunder Punch!" Sparky leapt forward and balled her fist which became surrounded in electricity. Floatzel swiftly dodged the attack and Sparky landed on the same platform as Floatzel.

"Ice Fang now." Floatzel bared her teeth and they became encased in ice. Floatzel went to bite Sparky, but she dodged at the last second and the Ice Fang hit the part of the platform where Sparky was once standing. Sparky jumped from platform to platform eventually finding one that was far away from Floatzel, so she would have time to dodge any attacks easily.

"Running away are you?" Wake laughed. "Floatzel let's try your Razor Wind." Floatzel fins glowed while and then shot two crescent blades of wind at Sparky. As they got closer and closer Rina told Sparky to dodge. Sparky ducked to dodge the first blade but Sparky stood up at the wrong moment. The second blade hit her left cheek, leaving a scratch. Sparky rubbed her cheek and growled at Floatzel.

"Looks like your Pikachu doesn't have good timing. If I were you I'd work on that." Wake suggested.

"Thanks, but just because you are a gym leader doesn't mean you know everything." Rina retorted. Wake laughed slightly and shook his head. It seemed Rina and Wake didn't get along very well; something that was quite surprising because most people respected gym leaders and looked up to them.

"Razor Wind now!"

"Sparky counter with Iron Tail!"

The two crescent blades shot towards Sparky like bullets, but she used her now metallic tail to counter attack. The two attacks collided and caused an explosion which threw Sparky back since she was so close. Floatzel on the other hand was just fine because she had kept her distance.

"Dive in and use Whirlpool!" Floatzel jumped into the water and soon after the middle of the pool became a vicious whirlpool. The small platforms were soon sucked in and Sparky was standing on all fours, trying desperately to avoid falling off. The platform Sparky was standing on was one of the last to be sucked in since she was far away.

"Oh yeah? Sparky use Thunder Punch on the water!" Sparky was nearly in the middle of the whirlpool so she quickly balled her right paw and summoned electricity in her fist. She punched the water which sent shock waves all through out the pool. A cry was heard from deep down in the pool and the whirlpool suddenly ceased. Floatzel swam up to a platform and knelt down on it. Sparks were visible on her body which meant the attack left her paralyzed.

"Awesome! That looked quite good." Rina said, pleased with her quick thinking. Sparky agreed and they watched as Floatzel got to her feet.

"I have to admit that did look pretty cool." Wake complimented Rina and she grinned in return.

"Thanks. But the compliment won't make me go easier on you. Quick Attack!" Sparky lunged at Floatzel and slammed into her stomach. Floatzel skidded back and was unable to do anything because the paralysis kicked in.

"Finish it with another Thunder Punch!" Sparky punched Floatzel in the gut and Floatzel dropped into the water. She floated to the surface and she was unconscious.

"Oh... It seems as if Floatzel cannot battle which means the challenger has won." The biased judge said, disappointment in his tone of voice. Rina's friends cheered for her and the rest of the audience seemed to forget about Wake as they now decided to cheer for Rina. Wake recalled his Pokemon and thanked her. Sparky jumped from platform to platform until she was in front of Rina, where they hugged and Rina praised her. Wake approached her and handed her a small badge.

"I think everyone here – apart from your friends – underestimated you. You and your Pokemon work really well together and so I present to you the Fen badge." Rina took the badge and shook hands with Wake.

-

After the gym battle the group went to eat and on their way back to the Pokemon Centre they came across two women handing out posters. Andy took one and everyone looked at it as he read what was written on it out loud.

"Trainers, do you have Pokemon that you think are strong enough to win a tournament? If you do then come to Veilstone City on Thursday and enter **ONE **Pokemon in our tournament that will truly test your Pokemon's skill. The tournament will start at exactly twelve in the afternoon but participants are reminded to sign up earlier because there aren't many places. The winner will receive an evolution stone of their choice."

"We should enter that! It sounds like loads of fun." Rina said.

"Well I know I am entering. It will give me a chance to have a few battles with Ivysaur." Andy replied.

"Me and Tubster are going to enter! We can kick some butt!" Tizzy squealed, pumping a fist in the air.

"And what about you Rikki?" Rina asked.

"Nah I think I will give it a miss. The prize doesn't appeal to me." Andy rose an eyebrow and tried to convince her to enter.

"It won't do me or Tizzy any good either but it isn't about the prize; it's about having fun! Come to think of it, Rina is the only one who needs an evolution stone. If you win what will you pick? A Thunder stone for Sparky or a Dawn stone for Kirlia?" Andy asked curiously. Rina thought about it and shrugged.

"No idea. There is no point thinking about it now because there will be so many strong Pokemon there. I might not even win. So it is on Thursday... what day is it today?" Rina asked.

"It's Sunday today so we have plenty of time." Andy replied.

"Good because I need to go Canalave City."

"What?! That is so far away Rina!" Rikki screeched. Rina rubbed the back of her head and replied,

"I know, but when I was with Sky in Canalave City I didn't challenge the gym leader." Rina then put her finger on her chin and carried on talking. "Cant remember why though..."

"How on earth are you going to get there and back in-" Andy counted on his fingers. "Five days?"

"Four days." Rikki smugly corrected him. He blushed and looked around awkwardly as he coughed.

"Well I'm sure Staraptor can fly me there in time. Although I don't think she can carry all four of us..." Rina said. Rikki thought about it and then came up with an idea.

"You can go to Canalave City on Staraptor, get your badge, and then meet us in Veilstone City!"

"Sure, that's fine with me. I'll leave in the morning. It shouldn't take me long but if I'm not there on Thursday morning sign me up." Rina replied. Rikki and Andy nodded and then realised Tizzy had hardly spoken. They glanced at her and saw her deep in thought – Tubby imitating her. She then yelled out,

"Oh my gosh! Andy, we have to go and sue the shop man for stealing my lollipop!" Andy was about to protest but Tizzy had already dragged him in the direction of the shop where she bought a magazine recently.

"Remind me why we put up with her." Rikki said to Rina.

**A/N: Is it too late to say "Happy New Year"? :D This would of been up sooner but my friend Crazy Amazing was on holiday and I had to wait till she got back so she could read over the chapters and point out mistakes. I've decided to start replying to reviews at the start/end of each chapter. So first of all I want to say a few things to Perupii. (I hope I got your name right...)**

**I couldn't reply directly to you because you don't have an account! I suggest you make one coz it would make things tons easier ;) Yes, you can post that picture you drew and Alyssia is either sixteen or seventeen. She was originally sixteen but I'm not sure now. **

**Anyway, reviews please!**


	30. Back To Canalave

Early that morning Rina had got ready before any one else was even awake. She silently got dressed, went to the bathroom to do her hair and brush her teeth and then she finally gathered her things. She shut the door behind her and crept down the stairs and into the lobby. It was so early only a few people were up. Of course Nurse Joy was one of them and she had offered Rina some breakfast, to which she politely declined.

She and Sparky were currently sitting on Staraptor and they had been flying for nearly four hours. It took longer than Rina initially thought and then there was the many stops they had to make. When they were about half way they had to stop for quite a while because Staraptor was getting tired. They could now see Canalave City and Staraptor was the most relieved to finally reach their destination. She landed just outside of the city and Rina and Sparky hopped off.

"Thank you so much Staraptor. I won't be using you in the gym battle so you can rest. Get as much rest as possible because in a few days we're going to have to go to Veilstone City which is a bit further away from Pastoria." Rina stroked Staraptor and returned her to her Pokeball. Sparky then jumped onto her shoulder and smiled.

"Well Sparky, we are finally here. The last time we were here was with Sky and we saw Manaphy."

"Chuu."

"We can't leave here for at least two days because Staraptor needs to rest so I guess there is no rush. Let's check out the gym!" Rina then walked into the city and across the bridge where they found the gym. The city was fairly small so it was easy to find it. When Rina approached the door she found it was locked and there was a note taped to it. She then read the note out loud.

"The gym is closed today until noon: because I wanted to go fossil digging. Come back later." Rina frowned and looked displeased.

"Fossil digging?! Gym battles are way more important that digging up ancient rocks!" Rina glanced at her watch. "Hmm, we have less than half an hour to kill. Might as well stay here..." Rina turned so her back was against the door and she slid down so she was sitting on the floor. Sparky sat next to her. Rina then took out a Pokeball and released Glaceon.

"I'm going to be using you in the gym battle and I wanted to teach you a new move!" Rina stroked Glaceon and she seemed happy with all the attention.

"Of course it's too late for you to practice so I'm going to be using a TM. It will make you instantly learn it so you won't even need to practice!" Glaceon looked confused as Rina took a small disk out of her bag. She then placed it on Glaceon's head and the disk dissolved into Glaceon. Glaceon didn't even flinch as when a TM was used it didn't hurt at all.

"There you go. Now you can use Water Pulse! Let's try it out." Glaceon nodded and instantly formed a circle of water and then blasted it into thin air. Glaceon and Sparky looked amazed at how quickly Glaceon learnt the attack, and Rina sat there grinning. She then praised Glaceon and returned her to her ball.

In less than ten minutes after teaching Glaceon Water Pulse several other trainers had came along, saw the sign, and joined the queue that had formed. Rina was at the front but she was still sitting down. Most of the trainers only looked ten or eleven years old and they stood around shuffling from foot to foot with an anxious look on their faces. Rina had given them talks in order to boost their confidence, but when she said one small thing wrong they all looked horrified. Just over five minutes before the gym leader was due back a group of teenagers came along and when they saw the long queue of little kids they frowned. There was three boys and two girls who were all trying to look threatening. The tallest boy and the tallest girl pushed in front of all the younger kids until they were directly behind Rina, who had now stood up and faced the door. The kids moved out of the way when the rest of the group came to join their friends. Rina suddenly felt tap her shoulder and she turned around to face one of the girls.

"Move aside short stuff or I'll move you myself." The girl was at least a head taller than Rina.

Rina blinked and crossed her arms. "Excuse me?"

"Me and my crew want to get our gym badges so move aside and let us in front." The girl replied, also crossing her arms. Sparky jumped onto Rina's shoulder so she had a better view of things.

"I want my gym badge too and I need to be somewhere in a few days so I'm not moving for anyone, let alone five people." Rina retorted. One of the boys stepped forward and interfered. It was only then that Rina recognized him.

"Daniel?" Rina asked. He smirked and moved the girl aside slightly.

"Hi Rina, long time no see. Don't mind her she is just... pushy."

"I noticed. Wow it really has been a long time! Last time I saw you was in Jubilife City and we-" Rina stopped talking and she blushed, recalling her date with him.

"Yeah... _that _time. It was loads of fun though, we should do it again sometime." He grinned when Rina blushed harder.

"Oh, yeah sure. I'd like that." Nothing more was said and the only conversation going on was between other people.

"So are you travelling with these lot then?" Rina asked, breaking the awkward silence.

"Them? No way! They are too much for me." He laughed and carried on. "I was just accompanying them here because they were lost. They aren't from this region you see." Rina nodded and Daniel then asked the kids if any of them had a pen he could borrow. A geeky looking boy timidly handed him a black pen which Daniel took gratefully. He suddenly grabbed Rina's left hand and proceeded to write some numbers. She couldn't help but blush when he touched her hand. His skin was so soft...When he finished he gave the pen back to the boy and Rina looked at her hand in shock: he had given her his number.

"Call me sometime and we can arrange a day to meet up." He waved and bolted off but before Rina could shout anything out to him a man approached them and apologized for being late, but Rina was paying too much attention to her hand. She snapped out of her thoughts when the man introduced himself as the gym leader and unlocked the door. Before everyone piled in she realised the group of teenagers had moved to the back of the queue.

The other trainers were given a ticket with a number on it as they entered so that the gym leader would know who was were in the queue. Once everyone was seated Rina and the gym leader – Byron – took their positions. He then explained the rules which were the same as every other gym she had been to. Rina decided to forget about the phone number printed on her hand so that she could concentrate on the battle properly.

"I think it's about time we started the battle then eh? After all, you were probably waiting quite a while for me to arrive." Byron said.

"Not that long. What's with digging up ancient rocks anyway?" Rina asked.

But she soon regretted asking that.

Byron's face went red and he now had an angry expression on his face. He waved his shovel that he was holding in the air and clenched a fist.

"Never call fossils an ancient rock! They are rare, valuable items and some can even resurrect Pokemon that died long ago! Me and my son Roark resurrect Pokemon on a daily basis so do not make fun of them!!"

"Ah _those _kid of fossils. So Roark is your son? I beat him quite easily – no offence to your family or anything." When Rina said this Byron seemed to calm down completely.

"None taken. I have to admit though; unlike me he is quite a wimp. I'm not so easy to defeat though so don't even think for a second you will have it easy." Byron set down his shovel and crossed his arms in a proud looking way.

'_Well that shows just how much faith he has in his own son. He just insulted his own son.' _Rina thought to herself.

"Now then, are you ready?" Byron asked. Rina nodded and he grabbed his first Pokeball. Rina also took her first ball and they both threw them near enough at the same time. Byron's first Pokemon was a Magneton while Rina had sent out Glaceon.

'_No type advantages here unless Magneton knows a fire type move. Come to think of it, I don't think they can. If it doesn't know any effective moves this should be a pretty fair match. Ice and Dark type moves do literally nothing to Magneton so I guess we have to rely on Water Pulse...'_

"You seem nervous. I'll start this off then shall I? Magneton show them your Sonic Boom!" Magneton went into action as it sent a destructive shock wave towards Glaceon.

"Dodge it and use Water Pulse." Glaceon gracefully leaped to the side and then Sonic Boom hit the floor a few feet behind where Glaceon once stood. The attack caused a bit of damage to the floor and Rina winced. Glaceon formed a perfect circle of water and blasted it across the field and over to Magneton. The attack missed however because Magneton floated up and the water went underneath it.

"Your Glaceon is pretty fast. But Magneton and I can easily land with Lock-on!" Byron smirked as Magneton took aim at Glaceon and a little circle landed on Glaceon's head. Glaceon used her front paws to try and get rid of it but of course that was impossible.

"Glaceon you can't dodge the next attack because of Lock-on so take it!" Rina called. Glaceon nodded and braced herself for the impact of whatever move was about to come.

"Discharge!" Byron yelled. Magneton's body was enveloped in electricity and it then flared out and hit Glaceon. The little circle disappeared as the attack hit and the Discharge attack caused Glaceon to be pushed back slightly. Once the electricity died down the fur on Glaceon's back was standing on end and a few ten year olds in the audience burst out laughing.

"I need to concentrate. He wasn't kidding when he said he was strong. Glaceon use Quick Attack and follow it up with Water Pulse!" Glaceon shot towards Magneton so quickly that most people missed what had happened. Glaceon slammed into Magneton but the attack did nothing. Rina knew it wouldn't though – she just wanted Glaceon to be given the chance to hit Magneton with her new move. The circle of water that quickly formed in front of Glaceon was blasted at Magneton at close range and so Magneton was pushed back and took a bit of damage.

"I must say Rina, that technique of yours is something to be proud of. You knew Quick Attack always hits first and you knew Glaceon would be able to get another hit in. It will take a lot more than that though to defeat me. Lock-on again!"

As Glaceon landed on her side of the field another circle was placed on her head, and both Rina and Glaceon knew the next attack would hit without fail. Glaceon braced herself again and waited for Byron to call out the next attack.

" Hit them hard with Mirror Shot!"

Damn it.

"Well that's just great. Glaceon try and take it on. Well you don't have a choice really..." Rina muttered the last sentence and watched as Magneton prepared its next move. Magneton released a flash of energy from its polished body and the energy struck Glaceon with such power. Glaceon cried out but she forced herself to shake off the attack and fire back. She struck Magneton with a Water Pulse that no-one saw coming. Glaceon looked far worse than Magneton though.

"Mirror Shot again!" Byron got caught up in the heat of the moment as Magneton released the attack again. As the attack shot across the field Rina realised that attack could end the match if it hit Glaceon. Rina quickly took a Pokeball and aimed it towards Glaceon.

"Glaceon return!" Glaceon was pulled back into her ball seconds before the attack would of hit. Rina sighed as she looked at the Pokeball.

"You done well. I'll need you for later so rest for now." She placed the ball back on her belt and took another one in hand. She threw it and released Flareon.

"The challenger Rina recalled Glaceon at the last second which was a wise move! Now she is using her fire type Flareon which could cause Byron and his steel type Pokemon some problems!" The judge yelled.

'_Since that tactic worked for Glaceon let's use it again' _Rina thought with a small smile.

"Quick Attack and then Flamethrower!" Flareon ran forward disappearing half way. He then reappeared in front of Magneton and slammed into him. As soon as Magneton was pushed back slightly Flareon shot powerful flames right at Magneton. Flareon jumped back and landed a few feet away from Rina while Magneton dropped to the floor. Magneton soon got right back up but it was now burned. The burn took a bit of damage and Magneton winced.

"Sonic Boom now!" Byron acted fast and Magneton did too. It shot a shockwave at Flareon that pierced through the air as it made its way across the field.

"Duck and do another Flamethrower!" Flareon ducked and the Sonic Boom carried on going over Flareon which then hit a wall behind Rina. Flareon then jumped and hit Magneton with a stream of flames. Magneton dropped to the floor again and didn't get up.

"Magneton cannot battle which means Rina has won this round!"

"Well done Magneton, you were wonderful." Byron said as he recalled his Pokemon.

"Wahoo! Flareon you were so amazing! You defeated Magneton quite quickly." Flareon faced Rina and smiled as Rina praised him.

"Impressive. Now for my next Pokemon: Steelix!" Byron threw his next Pokeball and released his steel type snake. Steelix roared and Flareon growled back, trying to sound as tough as the huge snake.

"This shouldn't take too long. Start off with a Sand Attack!" Flareon turned around so he was facing Rina and then kicked his back legs, sending sand and several rocks at Steelix.

"Trying to lower our accuracy are you? I'm afraid that won't help you win the battle much. Rock Tomb!" Steelix roared and hurled boulders at Flareon, some bigger than others.

"Use Quick Attack to evade them!" Flareon darted around the field dodging as many boulders as possible. Most boulders went astray and came no where near Flareon because Steelix's accuracy had been lowered. Flareon jumped to the left to avoid a boulder but another one came out of no where and smashed into Flareon. Another two boulders smashed into Flareon as he lay on the floor.

"Get up and use Flamethrower!" Flareon got back on his feet and fired the attack.

"Counter it with Dragon breath!" Steelix opened his mouth and exhaled a powerful gust that collided with the Flamethrower. Both Pokemon kept up their attacks not wanting to give in. Rina knew this wasn't going anywhere and changed tactics.

"Stop your attack and jump to dodge the Dragon breath, then do another Flamethrower!" As soon as Flareon stopped his attack he jumped in the air to get out of the way of Steelix's attack. Before Byron could order another attack, Steelix was scorched with flames. Steelix roared and collapsed in a heap on the floor.

"Steelix is out of the battle! Rina wins this round too!" The judge announced. Byron recalled Steelix and Rina pumped a fist in the air.

"There is no way I can lose now! He hasn't taken out any of my Pokemon." Rina grinned and Byron smirked.

"You haven't met my final Pokemon have you? How about I show him to you. Bastiodon come out!" Byron released his last Pokemon. When Rina saw it she couldn't help but stare.

"What the heck is that thing?"

"He's my oldest friend. I resurrected him as a baby Shieldon from a fossil when I was younger and he's been my partner ever since."

"Well your other Pokemon went down easily so this one should too. Flamethrower!" Flareon shot flames at Bastiodon and his whole body was engulfed in flames.

"Bulls eye." Rina grinned. Her grin soon faded when she saw that Bastiodon had taken minor damage.

"Oh, you didn't know fire type moves weren't as effective against him? Should have done research." Byron commented.

"But I know Bastiodon are steel types!" Rina cried.

"That is correct, but he's part rock type." Byron looked pleased with himself and Rina gritted her teeth.

"No worries Flareon; we can still win. Use Sand Attack!" Flareon started to kick sand at Bastiodon but he shook most of it off.

"Earthquake now." Bastiodon raised his two front legs and slammed them into the ground sending shockwaves throughout the field. Flareon was hit hard from the attack and collapsed to the floor. When he didn't get back up the judge announced he was out of the battle. Rina recalled him, praised him and then released Glaceon.

"Water Pulse!" Glaceon formed a circle of water in front of herself and sent it flying towards Bastiodon. Because Bastiodon are so slow he wouldn't have time to dodge so he got hit by the attack. He grunted and winced when the water hit him.

"Now _that _did something."

"Let's do twice the damage with Metal Burst!" Bastiodon opened his mouth and formed a white energy ball that hit Glaceon and returned the damage that she had done to Bastiodon. Glaceon was barely standing after the attack and her legs were wobbling slightly.

"Do another Water Pulse." Glaceon managed to send another Water Pulse across the field but she then fainted. As she fainted Bastiodon was hit the attack and grunted in pain. Rina returned Glaceon and struggled to decide who her last Pokemon should be.

'_Kirlia's psychic moves wont do a thing and Staraptor is way too tired to battle.' _Rina thought. She then looked down at Sparky and told her she was up next. Sparky jumped onto the field and Byron raised an eyebrow.

"An electric type? I haven't had a challenger use an electric Pokemon in a long time. Oh well, your choice. Bastiodon use Earthquake!" Bastiodon raised his two front feet but as he was about to slam them into the ground Rina shouted,

"Jump and use Thunder punch!" As Bastiodon was about to start an earthquake Sparky jumped to avoid the attack and then punched Bastiodon in the head. The attack didn't do much and Rina frowned when her plan failed. She was hoping to paralyze Bastiodon so Sparky would have more chance of landing an attack.

"Iron Tail." Sparky's tail became metallic and she somersaulted in the air and then slammed her tail into Bastiodon's head.

"Retaliate with Iron Head!" Bastiodon slammed Sparky with its steel-hard head and sent her flying. Sparky was laying on the floor but she got back up when Rina told her to use Thunder punch. Like before, Bastiodon's speed prevented him from trying to dodge the attack so he had no choice but to allow the Pikachu to punch him in the head. This time Rina's plan worked as Bastiodon became paralyzed.

"Yes! Now Dig!" Sparky quickly started to dig underground and make her way over to where Bastiodon was standing.

"Get them with Earthquake!" Bastiodon caused another earthquake that sent shockwaves throughout the field. From below Rina faintly heard Sparky cry out in pain.

"Hang in there and use Dig!" Rina yelled as loud as she could so that Sparky would hear. A few minutes later Sparky appeared underneath Bastiodon's front leg and he tipped to the side after the attack. Sparky was panting heavily and was waiting to see if the attack had finished Bastiodon off. He soon got back to his feet though and Byron looked relieved.

"Do another Dig!" Sparky jumped into the same hole as before and made her way across the field.

"It's time to finish this. Earthquake!" Bastiodon was about to raise his front feet but the paralysis chose the perfect time to kick in. The paralyse stopped Bastiodon from doing anything and several seconds later Sparky appeared underneath Bastiodon and charged at him. Bastiodon was hit with the attack and was sent rolling. Sparky made her way over to her side of the field and Bastiodon didn't get back up.

"Bastiodon can't battle any longer. Rina has won the match!" The crowd cheered as Rina hugged Sparky and Byron recalled Bastiodon. Byron walked across the field and approached Rina.

"That was a very impressive battle. Your Pokemon are tough and I'm sure you'll go on to battle the Sinnoh League. As proof of your victory here; take this Mine badge." Byron handed Rina a small badge and she thanked him and then placed it in her bag. Rina then left the gym and headed straight for the Pokemon Centre to heal her Pokemon and book a room for the night.

"Tomorrow we can head over to Veilstone City which I think could take at least a day. We still have loads of time to kill today, what should we do?" Rina asked Sparky as she made her way across the bridge.

"Pika pi!"

"I don't know what you just said but I suppose we should get some training done. I want to win that tournament!" Rina grinned and Sparky sighed.

"Pikaa..."

("I wanted to eat actually. I can't remember the last time you fed me a good meal. I usually get extra food from Tizzy but she isn't here!")

**A/N: As you can probably tell this hasn't been fully read over so more than half of it probably has many mistakes. Sorry! Yes, another gym battle... And for some reason I missed out this gym the last time Rina was in Canalave and I have no clue why...**

**I don't have much else too say except I'm back at school on Tuesday so I might not have as much free time to write. Oh yes! Before I forget, there is something I want to say. Once this story is finished I plan on writing a Reborn story. It's something I've wanted to try for a while and I already have the first chapter planned out xD**

**Review's make me smile! :D (See?)**


	31. The Team Together

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait! I've been really ill recently. Before I reply to my reviews I want to advertise a couple of stories. Firstly, if you aren't already reviewing Tizzy's Challenges by Crazy Amazing, I demand you go and do that now! Also, check out my new story Reincarnation. **

**Peruupii – You really need to make an account xD I really want to see the picture! Thanks for reviewing.**

**Autumnchronicles – Yes, Crasher Wake does suck doesn't he?**

**On with the chapter!**

**-**

It was already Thursday morning and Rina was getting closer to Pastoria City. She kept checking her watch and biting her lip every so often because she thought she might not make it to the tournament in time.

"I hope we don't miss it. I'd really like an evolutionary stone..." Rina mumbled. Staraptor heard the disappointment in her voice and sped up a little. Rina noticed this and patted her on the head.

"Hey, don't push yourself too much. It doesn't matter if I miss it." Sparky agreed with Rina but Staraptor still didn't slow down. Even if she was tired she didn't want to let her trainer down. A vibration followed by music came from Rina's pocket and she pulled out her mobile phone. She looked at the name on the screen before answering.

"Hi Rikki!"

"Rina! We need you now! Get to Pastoria City immediately and-" Rikki was speaking so fast that Rina had to interrupt her and tell her to slow down.

"Why do you sound so panicked? Calm down and speak slower." Rina laughed.

"I said come to Pastoria City's Pokemon Centre as soon as you can."

"Why? And why aren't you in Veilstone City?!" Rina ordered. She wasn't angry though, because she could tell Rikki was upset about something.

"Tizzy ran away and we can't find her! She has been gone so long and she didn't even take Tubby with her!"

"What?! I'll be right there!" Rina hung up and put her phone back into her pocket.

"Staraptor I'm sorry to change the plans but I need to get to Pastoria City as soon as possible!"

-

When Rina arrived at Pastoria it didn't take her long to locate her friends. Rina was filled in on everything that had happened, from the day when she had left to Andy's confession. Apparently after he confessed Tizzy had bolted out of the city. Tubby had tried to run behind her but of course he didn't get too far.

"Where have you guys checked?" Rina asked. Rikki and Andy listed all of the places and it was obvious they had been searching hard. There weren't many places left that they hadn't checked so it shouldn't take too long to find Tizzy. Hopefully. Rina looked at Andy carefully and she felt sympathy for him. He looked so guilty and depressed. But then again, Tizzy must be even more depressed. Her heart had been broken and that resulted in her running away. Rina looked at Tubby and saw that he was holding back tears. Rikki looked equally upset and Rina vowed to never leave them alone again. She hadn't been gone that long and look what her friends had gotten themselves into.

"Okay people! Let's make a plan of action. We'll split into two teams: Andy and Tubby, you two head east and Rikki, Sparky and I will go west. Meet back here in a few hours and if we still haven't found her we'll try somewhere else." Everyone nodded and Andy and Tubby left the girls to begin their search. Rina, Rikki and Sparky then went in their own direction and began calling Tizzy's name as they looked.

-

Rina and Rikki had taken the more muddy route and ended up walking through a marsh while searching for their lost friend. They had been looking for over an hour and there was still no sign of Tizzy. They had passed many people and none of them had seen Tizzy. It wasn't a surprise really because she _had _run off two whole days ago. Rina glanced at her watch and frowned.

"The tournament starts in less than half an hour." Rikki looked at her and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"I know how badly you wanted to enter in that. If you want you still can. I'm sure Staraptor could get you there in time, or perhaps Kirlia could teleport you! I'll keep on looking."

"No way. Finding Tizzy is way more important than entering some stupid tournament. Besides, I can easily ask the Professor for a evolution stone or I'll just buy one." Rikki nodded and they carried on searching.

-

Andy and Tubby had also been searching for a while and were currently walking along a beach. Tubby had pulled Andy towards the sandy beach in hope that they would find Tizzy there trying to build sand castles. Andy's stomach was continuously growling with hunger and so he had suggested they stop to eat. Andy and Tubby both sat on the beach and looked out at the sea.

"You know Tubby, I didn't mean to hurt her feelings." Andy said while taking out some chicken sandwiches.

"Snorrr..." Tubby moaned. Tubby was feeling quite lost without Tizzy and although he didn't hate Andy for what he had done, he just wished Andy had kept it to himself that he was gay. Andy handed Tubby a sandwich but the large Pokemon politely declined the offer.

"You don't even want to eat? Wow you really are upset aren't you." Tubby nodded while Andy started to eat. They sat in silence while Andy ate and once he was finished he decided they had wasted enough time.

"Come on, let's carry on looking. Let's just hope the girls have had more luck than us."

As they stood up Tubby suddenly waddling into the sea and cried out to Andy. Andy watched as Tubby bent down and picked something out of the water. Tubby then waddled back to Andy and held out the object. It was a white Pokemon egg.

"I wonder what it was doing in the sea?" Andy held the egg and inspected it to see if it was damaged. "Well we can't just leave it here. I'll look after it and decide what to do with it later. Lets go back to the Pokemon Centre now. I don't think we're gonna find Tizzy around here."

-

"So what are you going to do with it?" Rikki asked. They were all sitting around a table in the Pokemon Centre and Nurse Joy was properly checking the egg Andy had found.

"I guess I should keep it. I mean, I only have Ivysaur so another Pokemon would be nice." Andy shrugged.

"You're so lucky. But we still haven't found Tizzy! It's been nearly three days since she ran off right?" Rina asked. Rikki and Andy nodded and then everyone went silent. After a few moments Andy looked up and his eyes widened.

"Hey! Do you guys know that we missed that tournament?" The girls nodded and then went silent again. Tubby was back in his Pokeball and Andy was currently looking after it. Nurse Joy then called Andy over and they started talking about what Rina guessed was the Pokemon egg.

"I'm going to go and call my mum. I haven't spoken to her in a while." Rikki nodded and Rina and Sparky made their way over to the phone. Rina punched in the number and waited for an answer. After a few rings her mum's face appeared on the phone.

"Rina! I thought I'd never hear from you." Catherine didn't sound angry and she looked a lot better. Rina could tell she hadn't been drinking just by hearing the tone in her voice.

"Sorry mum, things have been a bit crazy lately." Catherine asked her what had been happening and Rina filled her in on everything. Rina started from the point where her and Sky went their separate ways, and then to meeting up with Rikki, Andy and Tizzy and travelling with them. She also told her mum how Tizzy had been missing for two days.

"Oh my! I hope you find her well and healthy. Without her Pokemon around it could be pretty rough."

"I know, we've been searching non-stop and we are all really worried." Rina hung her head and Catherine decided to change the subject.

"I have some exciting news to share with you! Even though Ashley can't start her own journey for another three years, the Professor agreed to give her a Pokemon now. After everything that's happened he felt she could use some company and even though she loves my Ditto it's not the same because it's not hers." Rina's face lit up upon hearing this.

"Wow! That's so cool. What did she get? And where is Ashley anyway?" Catherine told Rina that she was at a Pokemon trainer's school that she had recently started and then wandered off to find the Pokemon. She came back holding a little blue penguin although it looked quite grumpy and unfriendly.

"So she got a Piplup huh? I always thought she wanted a Turtwig. It doesn't look very happy..."

"That's correct. She did want a Turtwig but it was so lazy so we went for this one instead. He is a bit grumpy and disobedient but I'm sure after a while he'll get used to us." The Piplup wriggled out of Catherine's grasp and ran off. Rina noticed another Pokemon in the corner of the screen and it didn't look like Ditto. Catherine noticed her daughter staring at it and she suddenly called out to the mystery Pokemon. Rina's eyes widened when three Pokemon came onto the screen.

"Mum! Where did you get a Shellos, Bidoof and Combee from?!" Rina demanded.

"Aren't they adorable? I went out and caught them myself! With a little help from Rowan of course. You and I should have a battle when we see each other again! Wouldn't that be fun?"

"Sure... Listen mum, it's been great talking to you but I should really go now. I think we are going to back out and search for Tizzy again."

"Alright then, good luck Rina! And be careful." Catherine warned.

"I will mum - bye!" Rina hung up and shook her head. _She sure has been busy catching those Pokemon. _Rina thought. Rina went back to her friends and they decided that since it was getting dark it was no use searching for Tizzy anymore. The three went up to their rooms, each of them finding it hard to sleep.

-

"Where should we look now?" Rikki mumbled. The group had just finished eating breakfast but they were all still half asleep because it was only quarter past seven in the morning. They had agreed to wake up early so they would have more time to look for Tizzy.

"Before we start our search can we go down to the beach first?" Andy asked. Rina asked why and Andy explained that he couldn't find Ivysaur's Pokeball.

"You lost your Pokemon?!" Rikki yelled. Andy nodded shamefully and told them that he was 100% sure he had it before he found the egg.

"Not to worry you or anything but if it fell in the sea then Ivysaur is long gone mate." Rikki pointed out. Andy glared at her and then they headed for the beach.

When they reached the very sandy beach Andy began searching for his lost Pokemon frantically. Rikki made snide comments every so often about Andy's clumsiness but Andy was so caught up in his search that he probably didn't register what she was saying.

"I know Ivysaur is important to you but she is safe inside her ball. But when it comes to Tizzy we have no idea how safe she is. I think we should be looking for Tizzy." Rina said. Andy stopped digging in the sand and turned to face Rina. His egg was safely tucked away in his bag.

"If you don't want to help me then just leave. I've already lost four Pokemon and I'm not prepared to lose another." Rina couldn't help but feel sorry him. She had forgotten about Team Elemental stealing his other Pokemon so she kind of understood why he was more concerned about Ivysaur.

Rina and Rikki got on their hands and knees and helped Andy to dig in the sand; hoping that Ivysaur's Pokeball was just buried under it. They were digging for some time and were beginning to get tired. The hot sun was beating down on them and it was getting harder by the minute to work. Eventually all three trainers came to the conclusion that Ivysaur's Pokeball wasn't in the sand, and even if it was they wouldn't be able to find it right now.

"Where else did you go?" Rina asked. Andy shrugged and said he couldn't remember.

"Well remember then! The quicker you remember the quicker we can locate Ivysaur and then carry on searching for Tizzy. She probably hasn't even eaten or gotten a good night's sleep." Rikki said sadly. Rina looked from one depressed friend to the other and sighed.

"Why don't we hand out missing posters? We could offer a reward and everything!" Rina helpfully suggested.

"We could include a reward for both Tizzy and Ivysaur!" Rikki added on. Andy's face lit up and he nodded enthusiastically. The plan seemed perfect. Tizzy was so unique looking that she couldn't be mistaken for someone else.

"But what are the odds of finding a Pokeball containing _Andy's _Ivysaur? There could be hundreds of trainers that have an Ivysaur." Rikki pointed out.

"It's lucky that we found Ivysaur then isn't it?" The teenagers' heads snapped to the right in the direction of the water. Their eyes glistened as they saw Tizzy standing by the water, alongside a Lapras and another girl.

"TIZZY!" Rina and Rikki embraced their friend and squeezed her. Sparky joined in on the hug but Andy stood awkwardly at the side.

"I-I've missed you guys..." Tizzy sniffed as she hugged her friends. She held a single Pokeball in her hand and when she got free from the hug she simply handed it to Andy without saying a word. Andy mumbled a thanks and let out his Ivysaur to see for himself that his friend was inside.

"Where have you been?"

"Are you okay?"

"Have you eaten?"

"You aren't hurt are you?"

Rina and Rikki asked question after question and Tizzy laughed as she confirmed that she was just fine – apart from being very hungry. Tizzy told them about Buizel looking after her and how Emma eventually found her. Tizzy then explained how they had found a Pokeball floating on the ocean's surface and because Tizzy was a curious person she had picked it up. When she released the Ivysaur it greeted her happily and she soon caught on that it belonged to Andy.

"Don't you ever run off again! Everyone has been so worried about you!" Rikki scolded her.

"So I've been told. Who has been looking after Tubby? Is he okay?!" Tizzy asked desperately.

"I h-have." Andy answered timidly. He handed Tizzy the Pokeball and she gave him a small smile as a way of saying thank you. Tizzy released Tubby and they both cried as they hugged and greeted each other.

"I will never leave your side again Tubby. That's a promise." Tizzy sniffled into Tubby's stomach.

"Snorrrrrr." Tubby replied.

After a few more minutes of watching Tizzy and Tubby hug the rest of the group were getting bored and Andy decided to introduce them to Emma – Andy's cousin and Tizzy's new friend. Rina, Rikki and Emma were all friendly towards one another and Rina showed her friends her newest badge.

"Hey Tizzy, isn't Andy's egg cool?" Emma said out of the blue. Emma gestured towards the white egg Andy was protectively holding and when Tizzy looked at it, she shrugged it off as if it wasn't worth looking at. In all honesty though, Tizzy was slightly jealous of his new egg. Although she didn't want another Pokemon she had always wanted to mother a baby Pokemon; just to see what it was like. And since the egg belonged to Andy there was no way she would have any part in looking after it. Emma furrowed her eyebrows and looked at Andy for an explanation.

"Tizzy has always been interested in you. What's up with her? You two haven't spoken since we got here." When Andy didn't answer Emma urged him to tell but he kept quiet. Rikki saw this as a perfect chance to get her two friends talking again.

"Tizzy ran away because she found out Andy is gay. If you ask me, they are great friends and shouldn't let a silly thing like this ruin their friendship." Rikki looked at Tizzy hopefully, but she didn't even glance in Andy's direction.

"Andy is gay? Go figure. It's possibly the most obvious thing ever." Emma said.

"It is?" Rina said questionably. None of them had ever thought Andy could be gay. Not from what she could remember anyway.

"Well it is when you've been around the guy as long as I have. This is a bit unrelated but I'd quite like a battle with you Rikki."

Rikki cocked her head slightly to the side. "Why me? Rina's the one who should be battling."

Emma gave her and Rina a look and hurried them off to the other side of the beach. Both Andy and Tizzy had tried to go with them to watch but Emma insisted there was no need for them to go. Emma told Rikki and Rina that it was all part of a plan. By asking Rikki for a battle it would give Tizzy and Andy the chance to talk. Emma had also dragged Tubby away and once she had told him the plan he was more than happy to be away from Tizzy for a bit longer.

"T-they did this o-on purpose." Andy stuttered. He had gotten over his stuttering but now that it was just him and Tizzy he was too nervous to talk properly. What if Tizzy got really angry and brutally attacked him?

"Yeah." Tizzy replied flatly. She kept her eyes locked on her feet and refused to look at her ex-"boyfriend".

"W-we need to t-talk Tizzy." The girl sighed and gave in. She was stubborn but since this was Andy, she was willing to at least talk this situation through. She still refused to look at him though. Andy walked over to a bench and Tizzy trailed behind him.


	32. Gambling and Meeting Maylene

**A/N: I'm so sorry for the long wait! My main excuse is that my brother put a virus on my laptop and I was unable to use it and that took a while to fix, after that I just became lazy. **

**The battle with Maylene went like that because of course Rina's Pokemon were over-levelled, but I also based it off my battle with her in Platinum. Yeahh, I destroyed her ;P**

**Not much happened in this chapter but I PROMISE you a lot of sad and also exciting stuff will take place around Snowpoint City; which is the next destination.**

**Now a few replies to my latest reviews...**

**Perupii/ Terutepi: Thank you SO much for the drawing! It's really good and I love it :D**

**Autumnchronicles: Things get MUCH worse for Tizzy. Poor girl. **

-

The battle with Rikki and Emma never actually took place as it was just a cover up. Tizzy and Andy hadn't told the three girls what they had spoken about; since it was nothing interesting really. They did tell them about Arceus however. Rikki got into a strop because she hadn't seen the legendary Pokémon for herself and she claimed it would have been great research for Rowan.

"So where are you heading now Emma?" Andy asked. His stuttering had subsided for now.

"I think I will go to Jubilife City. I have friends there that I want to visit." The group nodded and found themselves bidding farewell to Emma sooner than they had anticipated. Emma climbed onto her Lapras and they sailed away.

"What are we doing then?" Andy asked. Rikki and Tizzy looked at Rina expectantly; she was the one who always made the plans.

"Well I need my Veilstone Gym Badge." Tizzy groaned and slumped to the floor dramatically. Tubby picked her up by the back of her t-shirt with one paw and put her back on her two feet.

"And how long is _that _going to take?!" She whined. Rina simply shrugged but then managed to convince Tizzy that it would only take around an hour. It wasn't surprising when Tizzy grinned and believed her. As Tizzy and Andy examined the map Rina had to see which direction they had to head in, Rikki quietly spoke to Rina.

"You aren't going to fool me Rina! The trip to Veilstone is going to be a hell of a lot longer than one hour." Rikki hissed.

"I'm well aware of that but it will keep her quiet." Rina hissed back. Tizzy and Andy joined them and Rina knew Andy was aware of the long journey, but he knew better than to say something.

"Which one is Kirlia's ball?" Rikki suddenly asked. Rina stared at Rikki and pointed to a ball on the right side of her belt. Rikki took it in her hand and released the psychic type.

"Wha-?"

"Hey Kirlia, could you teleport us to Veilstone City please?" Rikki asked sweetly. Before anyone could protest Kirlia had closed its eyes and they vanished.

The group found themselves stood in the middle of the huge town that they were heading to next. Rina glared at Rikki and then scolded her for using Kirlia without her permission. Rikki simply waved it off and acted like it was nothing.

"Maybe we _wanted _to walk for about a week!" Rina turned to Andy for help but he shook his head.

"Okay, so none of us really did want to walk but-" Rikki cut Rina off before she embarrassed herself.

"I don't see what the problem is. We're here safe and sound aren't we? If you ask me I think I did us a favour." Rikki smiled proudly and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Sorry Rina but I have to agree with Rikki on this matter." Andy apologised. Rina turned to Tizzy for her opinion but found that she was no longer standing with them. Andy noticed her in the game corner and Rina recalled Kirlia before they headed inside. The group approached Tizzy who was at a desk and it seemed as if she was in an argument with the woman behind the desk.

"I just want a few coins so I can play on the slot machines!" Tizzy slammed her hands on the desk and she towered over the woman.

"I-I told you ma'am, you h-have to buy the coins." The woman replied timidly. Tizzy huffed and yelled louder.

"But I don't want to waste what little money I have!"

The woman threatened to call out the manager but Andy stepped in before the situation went that far. He kindly bought some coins for Tizzy and hurried her over to a slot machine, setting his egg down on a chair beside him. Rina and Rikki followed them and stood behind Tizzy as she excitedly started pressing the buttons on the slot machine. After around ten minutes of watching Tizzy play, Rina was slowly becoming bored.

"You guys can stay here if you want, but I'm going to get my gym badge." Rina was about to leave when Andy spoke.

"Come on Tizzy, the chances of you winning something are slim. Why don't you give up and come to the gym with us?" Tizzy kept her eyes glued to the machine as she put another coin in.

"Must win..." She murmured. Andy sighed and offered to stay with her while Rina and Rikki went to the gym. The two girls then left the game corner and Andy began to wonder what Tizzy was going to do when she ran out of coins. Before he knew it, Tizzy had just used her last coin and Andy quickly bought her more when he noticed her upset face.

'_She still hasn't won anything and I doubt she will give up easily. I have a feeling I'll be broke soon enough.'_ Andy thought as he handed Tizzy the coins he had just purchased.

-

"Y-you have how many badges?!" Maylene squealed. She had been asking the same question over and over.

"I told you already; I have six." Rina replied calmly. She didn't know why the gym leader was making such a big fuss over her number of badges.

"So you skipped my gym?" Maylene sighed. She hung her head and muttered something under her breath.

"Yes Maylene, Rina skipped the gym. Is that a problem?" Unlike Rina, Rikki was far from being calm. They had introduced themselves to Maylene a good five minutes ago and the battle still hadn't started.

"It's just that your Pokemon will probably be much stronger than mine right now, which means this battle will most likely end quickly. I suppose there is no point stressing over it. Shall we start?"

"Finally!" Rikki threw her arms in the air and made her way over to the stands with Sparky. Maylene and Rina took their places on the field and the judge explained the rules, which were unsurprisingly the same as any other gym.

"Meditite you're up first." Maylene meekly threw her Pokeball and out came a small Pokemon that Rina recognised.

"This battle probably will end quickly considering the fact that my Pokemon are probably over-levelled for this gym. Glaceon go!"

-

Andy was still sitting with Tizzy in the game corner and he had already wasted around £17 on coins for his friend. He had his chin resting in his hands and he wished that he was having as much fun as Tizzy. Even though she was losing, she was grinning constantly and she cheered when she won a few coins.

Andy glanced around the small building at the other people who were also playing on the slot machines. His eye caught a piece of paper that was glued to the wall. Andy stood up and approached it to read the list. It was a list of all the prizes and how many coins you needed to get them. He was impressed by the prizes that were up for grabs – there were even a few Pokemon on the list.

"Tizzy," Andy called. "How many coins do you have?" He turned to Tizzy who still had her eyes glued to the machine.

"Around thirty I guess."

Andy looked back at the prizes and saw that the cheapest prize cost over a thousand coins. His eyes widened and he made his way back to his seat. Andy began to think of a plan to entice Tizzy away from the game; there was no way she would get that many coins.

-

"Meditite use Confusion!" Meditite's eyes shone purple and Glaceon's body became outlined in the same colour. Glaceon looked to Rina for help but she was already being lifted off of the ground. Meditite then slammed Glaceon into the ground but it barely left a scratch.

"I guess we really are over levelled... Glaceon use Bite!" Glaceon sped towards Meditite and bit down on his arm. Meditite cried out and tried to shake the slightly bigger Pokemon off but Glaceon stood strong.

"Meditite stop struggling and use Force Palm!" Meditite placed his hand on Glaceon's side and a light green energy was released. Glaceon was blasted back and even though the attack was super-effective, it didn't do much.

"And this is what happens when you skip a gym!" Maylene said in a frustrated tone.

"It's not my fault. I didn't intentionally skip your gym and over level my Pokemon." Rina apologised.

"But now there isn't much point in the battle. My Pokemon can barely harm yours and I bet my strongest will even go down in a few hits." Maylene sighed and looked down at the floor. Recently, she had been losing a lot of battles and she was hoping to engage in a battle that she actually had a chance of winning.

"Tell you what, my Pokemon and I will be a bit easier on you." Rina compromised.

"Would you really?" Maylene asked while smiling in appreciation.

"Sure, it is my fault after all that this is a one sided fight. Is that alright with you Glaceon?"

"Glaeee!" Glaceon nodded.

"OI! Can you _please _get on with it?! There are a few things I want to do you know. I don't want to spend a whole day sitting on my bum doing nothing." Rikki yelled from her spot on the bench.

Rina and Maylene both apologised quietly and Rina allowed Maylene to attack first. Maylene ordered Meditite to Force Palm again.

"Glaceon, counter attack with Water Pulse!" As Meditite moved forward, Glaceon readied her attack. As Meditite inched closer and closer, Glaceon released the circle of water which hit Meditite on his hand. Meditite used his strength to hold back the water but the Water Pulse soon knocked him back and into the wall behind Maylene.

Rina winced as Maylene recalled an unconscious Meditite. "That was a bit much Glaceon…"

"Glae…" Glaceon looked at Rina sadly. She just really wanted to win the battle for Rina.

"No no, don't blame your Glaceon. She just wanted to win it for you. Honestly, it's fine that Meditite went down! I'm a gym leader so I'm prepared for this." Maylene offered a smile to Glaceon and Rina nodded. Maylene took her next Pokeball and pressed the button. A Machoke materialized from the ball and he flexed his muscles.

-

"Please Andy?" Tizzy begged.

"I said no Tizzy. I don't have much money left and I still need to buy food and supplies for the Pokemon." Tizzy pouted at him and looked at the coins she had in her hand. She had a total of two hundred and eleven coins (she had managed to win quite a bit) and looked at the prize sheet again.

"I wanted to buy the HM Surf and teach it to Tubby!" Tizzy whined. Andy rolled his eyes and shook his head at her, while clutching his egg to his chest.

"I have two things to say to you. Firstly, they don't sell Surf. Secondly, even if they did Tubby wouldn't be able to learn it anyway!"

"Yes he can: he is special!" Tizzy argued back.

"Can we please leave now?" Andy asked impatiently. Tizzy was refusing to put the last of her coins in the machine because she was certain she had enough for one prize. Tizzy ignored him and instead marched up to the desk. The woman from before saw her and quickly scurried out the back, ushering another assistant to take over. A short skinny man sat down behind the desk and looked at Tizzy with a bored expression.

"Yes?"

"Hi! I want to buy a prize with my coins." Tizzy scattered the coins all over the counter and with just one look, the man knew she didn't have enough.

"You don't have enough." He pointed out.

"Can't you give me a special deal or something?" Tizzy pleaded. She didn't seem to understand the words 'you don't have enough' and Andy lingered in the background.

"No."

Andy walked up to Tizzy and stood beside her. He kindly asked the man to exchange the coins for actual money and the man complied. He slammed the money on the desk and occupied himself with the computer that was on the desk. Andy picked up the money while trying to keep a hold on his egg and stuffed it into his pocket while Tizzy looked angrily at him.

"Why did you do that?!" Tizzy demanded.

"Come to the shop with me and I'll buy you something better than Surf." Tizzy grinned at him and ran out the game corner. Andy groaned and ran after her.

'_Why do I always get stuck with her? She is the only girl I know that has nearly left me penniless.' _

-

"Glaceon you were great." Rina praised before returning her Pokemon. Rina placed the ball back on her belt and took another one off. She threw the ball and Staraptor came out. Maylene groaned at the sight of the fully evolved flying-type.

"Machoke hit it hard with a Karate Chop!" Machoke rushed forward and bought his arm forward in a fighting position. Staraptor fluttered around while she awaited an order from Rina.

"Fight back with Aerial Ace." Staraptor spread out her wings and flew towards Machoke, picking up speed. The two Pokemon collided but it was Machoke who took all the damage. The fighting type was thrown onto his back while Staraptor stayed airborne. When Machoke didn't get back up Maylene gaped at Rina.

"You have got to be kidding me." Maylene pulled out a Pokeball and returned Machoke. "One hit and Machoke goes down? This battle really is one sided."

"Maybe I shouldn't have skipped this gym. This is so unfair on you." Maylene said nothing and released her last Pokemon: Lucario.

"You go Rina! Pulverise her Pokemon!" Rikki cheered from the side lines. Rina giggled at her friend and returned Staraptor. She then released Flareon and told him to use Flamethrower.

-

A little while later…

Andy and Tizzy had gone to the shop to stock up on the necessary items and as Andy had promised, he bought Tizzy a gift which turned out to be a bag of different kinds of fizzy sweets. Tizzy was happily chewing away and often giving some to Tubby who ate the sweet in one go. The three were nearly at the gym and were surprised to see Rina, Rikki and Sparky walking out of the gym.

"That was quick. Did you lose?" Andy asked seriously. Rikki whacked him on the back of the head and glared at him.

"Shows how much faith you have in her. Of course Rina didn't lose! She wiped out Maylene's entire team with one hit; well except her Meditite who lasted a bit longer."

Rina smiled slightly and presented her new badge to her friends. Andy said well done and Rikki stared at Rina.

"Why don't you seem happy?"

"I am happy. I just wish the battle wasn't so easy." Rina smiled again and shrugged her shoulders. "A win is a win I guess."

"Sweet anyone?" Tizzy shoved her bag of sweets into Rina's face and she kindly said no to the sweets. Rikki's hand suddenly dove into the bag and she pulled out a handful of sweets.

"Thanks Tiz, I'm starving!"

'_Tiz? Since when does Rikki shorten people's names?'_ Rina thought.

"Didn't you say you wanted to do something?" Rina turned to face Rikki. Rikki swallowed the sweet that was in her mouth before answering.

"Hmm?"

"Back at the gym you shouted something about wanting to go somewhere."

"Oh! That's right, my friend lives in this town and she gives Pokemon massages for free. It is supposed to make them friendlier." Rikki explained. She started walking south and the others followed.

"So you want her to make one of your Pokemon friendlier?" Tizzy enquired.

"Nah, I just want to see her. Hey Andy, maybe she could help you out with Ivysaur!" Rikki smiled at him and he glared at her.

"What is that supposed to mean?!"

Rikki didn't reply so the group walked the rest of the way in silence, save for Tizzy's constant chewing sounds that were irritating everyone. The walk was quite a long one and so Tubby had to be put in his ball because he couldn't walk much further.

"Did I tell you guys it's my birthday next week?" Tizzy asked excitedly.

"No you didn't. We have to do something special." Rina replied. She began to make birthday plans in her head because she had always thought of herself as a good organiser.

"I was hoping to visit my family but I guess I can't…" Tizzy slowed down and stared at the floor. One look at her face was all Rikki needed to see that Tizzy was holding back tears.

"Why can't you see them?" Andy asked.

"They live in Kanto. There is no way I'd be able to arrange transport with such short notice." Tizzy sighed and blinked back a tear that was threatening to fall. "I really wanted to see Sunshine..."

"Sunshine who?" Rikki asked curiously.

"Sunshine is my little sister. I've barely seen her because of my journey and I feel like a horrible sister." The story was too much for Rikki to take and she felt like she may even cry. Rikki didn't want to ruin her image and put on a fake smile.

"Enough of this soppy stuff, lets get to my friend's house already!" Deep down Rikki felt guilty for Tizzy because she knew what it was like being able to not see your family occasionally. Rikki had been travelling much longer than Tizzy and so she was used to it by now, but she knew Tizzy wasn't.


	33. Guilt

A/N:

Autumnchronicles: Hahaha, when I battled the E4 on Heart Gold my Pokemon were under levelled and they got destroyed by Lance's third Dragonite.

Terutepi: Once again, love the name. And yeah, easy wins aren't cool. It's so boring!

Crazy Amazing: You shall find out next chapter Andy's also included now.

-

The trip to Rikki's friend's house turned out to be a complete waste of time as her friend wasn't even home. Rikki had insisted that they wait for a while but after a good ten minutes, Rina grew bored. She kept eyeing her watch and she saw the minutes slowly tick by. In the end she told her friends that she and Sparky were going to the huge department store to see what they had for sale. Rina walked all the way back to the Pokemon Centre and then made her way to the store.

Once Rina was inside she approached a sales assistant and asked her what floor she could find the evolution stones. The woman directed her to the correct floor and Rina thanked her before heading to the stairs. Rina knew that this store sold evolution stones because she came here with her mum when she was younger. She was only five so the evolution stones were something she loved looking at. She was too young to remember the floor though.

Rina scanned the shelf that was filled with the stones. They had every stone she could think of and even now she thought of them as "pretty shiny rocks". Rina was able to easily recognise the obvious stones such as a Water Stone and a Fire Stone. Rina was after one stone in particular, but she had no idea what it looked like. Fortunately for her, there were labels under each stone which stated what Pokemon evolved from it.

"Sparky, help me find a picture of Kirlia." Sparky began to scan the first shelf but that shelf just had the basic stones on it. Rina finally found the correct stone which was a turquoise colour and was known as a Dusk Stone. Rina picked it up carefully and looked at it in awe.

"Pikaaa." Rina looked at her Pikachu and saw that it was pointing to a Thunder Stone.

"Sorry Sparky, but I don't think I'll have enough for both of them." Rina apologised. She walked up to the counter and paid for the stone. It was a lot of money but she was nearly at her seventh gym and her Kirlia still hadn't evolved. Rina noticed that Sparky was still upset because she wanted to evolve in order to get stronger.

"Excuse me; is it possible to order a Thunder Stone?" Rina asked the man behind the counter. He looked at her curiously.

"Why would you want to order one? I know we have some on display."

"I can't afford it right now but I'm sure once I reach Snowpoint City and beat the gym leader I'll have enough." Rina explained. The man smiled at Rina and turned to his computer.

"In that case, yes you may order one. I'm guessing you'll want it sent to Snowpoint City?"

"That's correct."

The man started to type several things into the computer which included Rina's name and her ID number which was located on her trainer card that she had forgotten she even owned. The man said it would be kept in Snowpoint's Pokemon Mart until she collected it. Rina thanked the man and left.

-

Rina found her friends standing near the Pokemon Centre, waiting for her. Andy seemed really excited about something and when Rina approached him he shoved his egg in her face. When Rina inspected it she could make out a few tiny cracks on the top, which meant the egg was getting closer to hatching.

The group then left Veilstone City and headed for Celestic Town where they would rest the night. They would then continue on from there to Mt Coronet – the biggest mountain in Sinnoh - which led to Snowpoint City.

-

After a long three and a half hour walk the group finally made it to Celestic Town. It wouldn't have taken so long but Route 210 was filled with a thick fog. Staraptor had tried to blow it away but it was no use. They ended up walking around in circles until a hiker had offered to lead them to the town. Rina had battled several Pokemon trainers and had earned quite a lot of money, but still not enough for the Thunder Stone.

Celestic Town was possibly the smallest town in Sinnoh. There was no gym there and there wasn't even a proper shop available. There were only a few houses and so the town was pretty empty. An old woman spotted the group and walked up to them as fast as she could.

"You must help me!" The woman pointed a stubby finger towards Rina.

"M-me?" Rina asked timidly, pointing at herself.

"You are a trainer are you not?" The old woman asked, although she already knew the answer.

"Yes I am but-"

"No buts! You and your friends must help me! Those ruins over there," the woman pointed towards a small cave that was in the centre of the town. "They are very important to us and a strange man has been in there for almost an hour! I understand that it is such an important place to us and people like to visit it, but he is very suspicious! Go and remove him now!" The woman pushed Rina forward and Rina stumbled slightly.

"Okay we're going! No need to push." Rikki scolded.

-

When the group entered the small cave they made sure they stayed as quiet as possible so that the man didn't know they were there. Even though the man had his back to them, Rina could easily identify him as Terry – the leader of Team Elemental. Rina prevented herself from swearing under her breath and so she stayed quiet. Terry was examining a drawing of the Lake Trio that was carved into the wall.

"Our plans are going ahead flawlessly. Uxie has been successfully captured as well as Mesprit. Samuel should be finished with his work at Lake Valour by now, so it shouldn't be long before Azelf joins us. The Red Chain is our best plan yet!" Terry said out loud. It was clear he was talking to himself and it was just a coincidence that Rina and her friends had come at the right time to hear his plans.

"We were unable to capture Mew, but we do not need that Pokemon anymore. We have far bigger plans. Wouldn't you agree?" Terry still had his back to them but the group froze in shock. How did he know they were eavesdropping? Terry turned to face them and smirked.

"I do not care that you have heard what I have planned. I knew you were there, this cave is only small and I'm not deaf."

Rina tensed and reached for a Pokeball but Terry held up his hand, as if telling her not to. Rina's hand was still hovering around the Pokeball but she made no attempt to remove it from her belt.

"I'm not looking for a fight. I have my Pokemon with me, but I'm going to spare you for now."

"Why would you do that?" Andy asked. He wasn't buying Terry's story. There was no way he would let them go freely.

"Because I have better things to do with my time." Terry answered simply. He took one last look at the drawing of the Lake Trio and then started for the entrance of the cave.

"You aren't leaving that easily." Tizzy spoke up.

"She's right. What are you doing with those legendary Pokemon?!" Rikki demanded.

"I am simply using them to create an object known as the Red Chain. No harm will be done to them and they will be released once they are of no more use to us." Terry moved around Andy and he then left the ruins. The group left soon after Terry, his plans still in their heads. The old woman thanked the group and then she went inside the ruins.

"Rina and I will book a room for us tonight, you two wait here. We won't be long."

Tizzy and Andy nodded and watched as the two girls entered the Pokemon Centre. Andy and Tizzy started talking about Andy's egg and what it might hatch into. They were saying the names of all the Pokemon it could possibly be when Tizzy became distracted. She heard a faint rustling and looked towards the outskirts of the town. Tizzy and Andy then noticed that Arceus was standing near a bush and she was staring right at the two. After a few seconds, Arceus teleported away.

"I wonder why Arceus has started appearing in front of us recently. Does it mean something?" Andy asked curiously.

"Nah, it's probably nothing." Tizzy shrugged.

"How can you say it's nothing? I don't know a lot but I do know that seeing a legendary Pokemon is pretty rare!" Andy flailed his arms and at that moment Rina and Rikki exited the shop.

"Andy, I'm telling you this because we are friends. People can't fly." Rikki said slowly with a serious expression on her face. Andy protested and said he wasn't trying to fly, and then he filled them in on seeing Arceus again.

"Why do we always miss it?" Rina wailed. Rikki sighed and muttered something about having no luck. Andy then suggested that Rina call Professor Rowan and ask him about Arceus, because Tizzy insisted that seeing Arceus had some significance.

-

"Tizzy is half right I suppose. It is said that Arceus appears in front of someone as a warning." Rowan explained.

"What kind of warning?" Andy asked worriedly.

"It depends really. Sometimes the warning is a good one – like good luck. Other times the warning means something bad will happen." Rowan explained further. Andy looked just as worried as he was when he first met Tizzy.

"Don't look so worried Andy; it could mean something fortunate will happen!" Rowan tried to reassure him but to no avail.

-

(I don't see what's so special about this Arceus thing.) Ambipom muttered. Some of the Pokemon were gathered outside the Pokemon Centre, and had over heard their trainers talking about Arceus earlier on.

(You can't be serious! Arceus is the very Pokemon who created the whole of Sinnoh!) Ivysaur explained.

(You aren't very smart, but you sure are cute.) Monferno winked at Ambipom, who frowned in return.

(Back off sunshine.) Monferno pouted and then stared at Ivysaur. He was about to make his move when Ivysaur suddenly glared at him and said,

(Don't even think about it.)

(Ivysaur, aren't you the least bit worried about Andy? What if Arceus appeared to him for a bad reason?) Sparky asked carefully. Ivysaur didn't seem to care too much and she said that she'd much rather be a wild Pokemon anyway.

(Tubby isn't aware of the situation is he?) Ambipom asked the group.

(Nope. Speaking of Tubby, Tizzy hasn't let him out of his ball in a while. He's usually walking alongside us.) Sparky stared at the sky and began to wonder if it was because Tizzy was scared. The doors of the Pokemon Centre opened at that moment and their human friends walked out.

"Guys, time to go back in your Poke balls. We're heading to Mt Coronet now."

-

The four friends had walked to the entrance of Mt Coronet but before they entered they sprayed Super Repel onto their bodies.

"Won't this make us reek?" Rikki frowned at the bottle.

"No, only Pokemon can smell it. To humans it's just like spraying water on us." Andy explained while he sprayed himself.

"Remind me why we have to do this?" Tizzy asked as she tossed the empty bottle into a nearby bin.

"Because there are so many wild Pokemon in there. Come on, let's go."

They entered the cave and as soon as the wild Pokemon smelt the repel, they fled. The group walked through the cave and only stopped to battle the hikers that were hanging around. A group of Graveller ambushed the group and they were forced to run the other way. Rina wasn't sure if they were even going the right way, so running in the opposite direction was of no worry to her. What was a worry though, was that the repel must have worn off. The group ran up some stairs and found themselves running through a room that was filled with thick fog. As they ran blindly, Rina and Rikki ran one way while Tizzy and Andy ran in a different direction. Having lost the Graveller, Rina and Rikki stopped running. They were now in a different part of the cave that wasn't foggy. The fact that no wild Pokemon were around in this part of the cave worried them.

"Isn't it weird... how we always... split up into the same... groups?" Rikki panted. Rina gulped and waited until she got her breath back before answering.

"Yeah... we better go back and find Tizzy and Andy." Rikki slumped to the ground and Rina and Sparky did the same.

"After we rest."

-

The two girls back tracked until they were back in the foggy room. Rina called out Staraptor and asked her to try and remove some of the fog. After a few minutes the room was still really foggy, but the girls could now make out some of the surroundings. Rina recalled Staraptor and they started walking, calling out to their friends. A scream echoed through out the room and the two girls ran in that direction. They came across Terry, Tizzy, Andy and another guy that was with Terry. He had shaggy black hair and was wearing the Team Elemental uniform.

"Ah, how nice of you to join us. I'd like to introduce you to my good friend Samuel." Terry gestured to the man standing next to him and he flashed a smile in Tizzy's direction.

"Looks like Tizzy has a not-so-secret admirer." Rikki smirked. Rina scoffed and Tizzy stared the man down.

"Are you gay?" She asked out of the blue. Samuel took a step back and he looked slightly offended.

"No. What would make you ask that?" He asked with a confused expression. Tizzy looked at Andy out of the corner of her eye and shrugged. She muttered the words 'no reason' and Terry sighed.

"So, will you allow me to take you out to dinner?" Samuel asked with a smile, trying his best to be charming. Tizzy shook her head immediately.

"No thanks. You're too plain looking." Samuel looked gob smacked and was about to answer but Terry held his hand out.

"Enough of this! We have serious business to attend to." Terry motioned for Samuel to follow him but Rikki wasn't going to let him go that easily.

"What business do you have to attend to?! Does it have anything to do with the Lake Trio? After all, you did capture them!" Rikki demanded. She glared at Terry and he looked back at her emotionlessly.

"It is none of your concern. However, you know that much so I don't see any point in denying it. Yes, it does involve the Lake Trio. The rest of the team should be at the top of Mt Coronet and as soon as Samuel and I join them, the Red Chain will be released, if you like."

"What do you need the Lake Trio for anyway?" Andy asked. As soon as he had said that he realised how silly that question sounded.

"Have you not been listening?! I needed them to create the Red Chain." Terry answered angrily. Rikki pulled out a Pokeball and released her Gastrodon. Rina then let out Kirlia, while Andy released his Ivysaur. Happy the egg was safely tucked inside Andy's bag.

"We won't allow you to join your pathetic team. We have a plan of our own, don't we guys?" Rikki stated with a smirk.

"We do?" Tizzy asked while tilting her head to the side.

"Since when?" Andy added. Rikki slapped her forehead and sighed inwardly.

"You guys are hopeless! Our plan is to stall them. Gastrodon, do not let them go." Gastrodon nodded and slid over to Samuel and Terry. It didn't know exactly what it was meant to do to prevent them from leaving so it just stood there. Andy then ordered Ivysaur to grab Terry using his vines, and Kirlia was told to use his Psychic to keep Samuel in place. Before Ivysaur could get a hold on Terry, he managed to release his Blastiose. He was about to grab another Pokeball but Ivysaur's vines wrapped around his wrists.

"No worry, Blastiose is all I need." Terry stated confidently.

"Maybe, but he's at a disadvantage. Ivysaur hit him hard with Razor Leaf!" While keeping her hold on Terry, Ivysaur shot sharp leaves at Blastiose. Blastiose took the attack and he hadn't taken any damage. Andy noticed the black collar tied around his neck. Rina also noticed it and grimaced. She knew that collar had something to do with all the power their Pokemon had.

"Tizzy, release Tubby now. We need him too." Rikki ordered. Tizzy looked at her Pokeball nervously and then nodded. She released Tubby but she didn't greet him in her usual happy way.

'_Could she be worried about Arceus' warning?' _Rina pondered. Rina then ordered Sparky to join the fight. Even though it was five against one, the chances of Terry's Blastiose being defeated were slim. Rina then reached into her bag and pulled out the Dusk Stone.

"I think now would be a good time to use this. Kirlia, catch!" Rina tossed the stone towards Kirlia, and he released his hold on Samuel so he could catch it. As soon as the stone touched him, he began to glow. Seconds later the light died down and a Gallade replaced Kirlia. Gallade nodded to Rina as thanks for the stone. As soon as the evolution was over, Gallade turned to Samuel and used Psychic once again to hold him.

"Evolution will not help you. Blastiose, use Blizzard." Blastiose opened his mouth and released an icy wind that was combined with small snowballs. The Blizzard attack hit the Pokemon dead on apart from Gastrodon, who quickly slid into the pool near them. Ivysaur's grip on Terry loosened and she was knocked out, as was Sparky. Tubby and Gallade were still conscious but just about. Gastrodon got out of the pool and slid over to Rikki to protect her.

"One more attack like that and we'll be dead meat." Rikki said while rubbing her bare arms.

"Now use Hydro Pump on the Snorlax." Terry ordered quickly. Blastiose blasted a powerful jet of water from the cannons on his back, and the water shot towards Tubby. Tizzy jumped in front of Tubby and the water blasted into her. She was slammed against a wall and then she fell into the deep pool of water. It wasn't clear whether or not she was conscious – it seemed as if she had hit her head when she hit the wall.

"Tizzy!"

"Hydro Pump again."

Blastiose unleashed the attack again but this time it was aimed at Gallade. Gallade reacted by teleporting away but he instantly regretted that. The water carried on and hit Andy, pushing him against the wall at the far end of the cave. The impact made him jerk his head back and it hit hard against the rocky wall. Rina gasped and rushed to his aid, while leaving Gallade to look after her unconscious Pikachu. There was blood dripping onto the floor and Rina soon realised it was coming from underneath Andy's hat. Tubby punched Blastiose in the stomach over and over but no damage was done. Realising Tizzy hadn't surfaced, Rikki sent Gastrodon in the pool to get her out.

Terry watched in despair as Rina cried out desperately, ordering someone to help Andy. Rikki was looking from Andy to the pool with tears in her eyes. Rina had taken off Andy's hat carefully and she started crying when she saw the damage. Andy's hat hadn't been enough to stop him from receiving a blow to the head. As Terry looked back at the pool he saw Rikki kneeling over Tizzy, who was lying on her back. Tubby had joined them and was staring at his best friend in shock. Both teenagers were breathing but they were not conscious.

The situation had gotten out of hand. He didn't intend on hurting someone, let alone two humans. What had he done? Why had he gone the extra mile? Why didn't he just defeat their Pokemon and carry on? He had ordered his Pokemon to attack two people, and this was the result. They were bleeding and had head injuries. He didn't know how serious the injuries were, but they must be bad if blood was involved. Would he be sent to prison if he was caught by the police? Even worse, would his Blastiose be put down because he attacked them? Terry snapped out of thoughts when he felt Samuel shaking him.

"We have to help them!" Samuel exclaimed.

"We can't. We have to meet up with the others." Terry recalled his Blastiose and then grabbed Samuel by the arm and dragged him away. Samuel tried to protest but Terry silenced him. He knew in his heart that he should help the teenagers in any way possible, but he didn't want to put his Blastiose's life on the line. Rikki had put Gastrodon and Tubby in their Poke balls because she didn't want to put them through anything else.

"Gallade, teleport us to the Pokemon Centre in Celestic Town immediately!" Rina cried. Gallade focused on his friends and in a flash, they were all gone.

-

A/N: I had fun writing this! I hope the ending leaves you all in suspense and hopefully it was realistic enough... This chapter was going to be merged with the next one but it would have been over 6,000 words and I'm not a fan of chapters that long so I split it.

So we find out more about Team Elemental and their plans, but will Terry carry on with the Red Chain plan after what he just done? Things aren't looking good for Tizzy and Andy either. We also see a bit of emotion from Rikki which is quite rare ;P

Also, if any of you are fans of reborn stories you should read my one: Reincarnation. Now that I've updated SC, Reincarnation will be updated next. I'm so eager to write the next chapter of SC though...

As usual, please review


	34. Reality

_A/N: Thanks for the reviews guys! They mean a lot._

_Define-originality – Thanks for the reviews. You'll find out about Tizzy and Andy when you read this chapter._

_Terutepi – Ha-ha, addiction is... addictive? Uhm, I'm not sure. It could be Hydro Pump but I think Hydro Cannon may be a bit more powerful._

_Autumnchronicles – Thank you! Tizzy is a good character isn't she? I didn't want everything to revolve around Rina, so I figured Andy and Tizzy should get some spotlight. In case you are wondering, I haven't forgotten about your OC Karumo. I can assure you there is a big story coming up concerning him._

Rina and Rikki had been sitting in a waiting room in the Pokemon Centre for almost two hours now. Well, Rikki was sitting but Rina had been pacing up and down for at least ten minutes now. Rina kept chewing her nails every now and then and she also got into the habit of looking at the clock. Rikki had her eyes fixed on the blue double doors that led to the room where Andy and Tizzy were, waiting for Nurse Joy to come out and tell them that their friends were just fine. The constant beeping sound from the machines could vaguely be heard. All of the Pokemon had been dropped off at the huge garden behind the Pokemon Centre, along with Happy the egg. Rikki's legs were shaking and she was finding it hard to hold her can of Coke because her hands were also shaking. Rikki glanced at Rina and scowled.

"Stop pacing, you are making me even more nervous."

Rina looked at her friend apologetically and sat down opposite Rikki. Rikki had been in a bad mood since they arrived at the Pokemon Centre, and she had snapped at every person she had come across. Rina noticed the scattered magazines on the table in front of her and picked one up. She flicked through the pages, not really paying much attention to what she was looking at.

"Why are they taking so long?" Rikki asked quietly. Rina looked up from her magazine and saw Rikki staring at the floor.

"I don't know. Maybe Nurse Joy had to give them stitches?" Rina tried. Rikki sighed softly and took a sip of her Coke. Rikki shook the can and tossed it into a nearby by bin when she realised it was now empty. Rina once again stole a glance at the clock and it read 9:48pm. Although it was getting late Rina didn't feel the least bit tired. She had too much on her mind to even think about sleeping. Rina put the magazine back on the table and looked carefully at Rikki. Her eyes were slowly closing and her arm was red from where she had been pinching herself in order to stay awake.

"Go up to the room and take a nap. I'll come and get you when Nurse Joy comes." Rina insisted.

"If I go asleep I may not wake up until the morning. I need to be there when Nurse Joy tells you how they are," Rikki replied, shaking her head in protest.

"Alright, just stay awake for a bit longer. Nurse Joy will be out any minute now with good news," Rina said, trying to convince both Rikki and herself that their friends would be just fine.

Fifty minutes later and Rikki and Rina were still waiting for Nurse Joy to inform them on the situation with Andy and Tizzy. Rikki was now stretched out on three chairs and was resting her eyes. A long high pitched beeping sound filled the room where Tizzy and Andy were and Rikki shot up. Rina stared at the doors and silently prayed. She knew that sound and it wasn't good.

Several doctors rushed past the two girls and pushed the doors open, allowing the two girls to see inside. They couldn't see Andy or Tizzy but what they did see frightened them. Nurse Joy was frantically rushing around and the doctors were gathered together. A Chansey was aiding Nurse Joy and giving her different things. Rina gulped and blinked to keep back the tears that were forming in her eyes. There was no need to cry; her friends would be fine. Rina then felt Rikki grab her hand and squeeze it.

The beeping noise came to a sudden stop and Nurse Joy and the doctors stayed silent. Rina allowed the tears to fall and she hung her head. Rikki wasn't crying because she wanted to stay strong, and also because she knew this had to be a dream. Nurse Joy had a sad look on her face as she approached them.

"I'm so sorry but we couldn't save them-" Nurse Joy went on to explain what had been the cause of the deaths and offer her condolences but her words wouldn't go through Rikki's head. She released Rina's hand and didn't even register Rina sobbing. It was only then did she realise that this wasn't a horrible dream. This was reality. Her friends had been killed by Terry and she would never hear Tizzy's crazy laugh or get to pick on Andy. Rikki may have seemed cold towards them but they truly were her friends.

Her _best _friends.

Rikki turned and ran out of the waiting room and into the lobby. She then bolted up some stairs and along a long corridor. She stopped running when she reached her room and she entered after unlocking it. Rikki was now violently shaking and she allowed her tears her fall. Rikki slumped onto her bed and buried her face into the pillow. This was probably the second time in her whole life that she let her emotions take over. Rikki wasn't one to cry but this wasn't the time to act tough. How could she face Rina? She wasn't ashamed to face her friend because she was crying, but because Rina was equally upset and Rikki had left her to cry alone.

There was a quiet knock on the door and Rikki had a feeling it was Rina. Rikki glanced at the bedside table and noticed Rina's key to the room was there. Rikki heard Rina call her name from the other side of the door and Rikki forced herself to get up and open the door for her friend. When the two girls came face to face both had red puffy eyes. Rikki moved aside and allowed her friend to enter the room.

"N-nurse Joy s-said w-we could see Ti-izzy and Andy if we w-wanted. You k-know, to say good-bye." Rina stammered. Rikki nodded and wiped her eyes. Rina looked at her sympathetically and placed a hand on Rikki's shoulder. Rina breathed deeply before she spoke.

"You don't have to act tough anymore Rikki."

"I can't get my head around it," Rikki replied, going off topic. "They can't be dead."

Rina wiped her eyes and led Rikki out of the room, taking her room key with her and stuffing it into her pocket. The two made their way back to the lobby and then into the waiting room. Nurse Joy was sitting down on a chair and then jumped up when she noticed the two enter.

"Do you want to see them?" She asked carefully. Rina nodded and then looked at Rikki. Rikki nodded slightly and Nurse Joy led them to the room where Tizzy and Andy were. When they entered the room, Nurse Joy left them to it and told them to take their time. Tizzy and Andy were lying on two separate beds and a stool stood between the beds. Rina gulped and then made her way over to Andy. His eyes were closed and there was no movement. The colour in his cheeks didn't look any different because he had always been pale. His hat was on the end of his bed and Rina had to admit that he looked odd without it. Rikki stood by the door, not wanting to move. Rina cleared her throat and held back her tears.

"Hey, you can't be dead Andy. Who's going to cook for us?" Rina laughed slightly but then sighed when she decided that even laughter wouldn't help right now. "You still have so much to do in your life. Your egg is showing signs of hatching and Nurse Joy said it could even hatch by the end of the week." Rina became even more upset (if that was even possible) when she didn't get a reply from Andy. She knew she wouldn't get a reply; he was dead. But she could hope couldn't she?

Rikki walked over to Tizzy's bed and sat awkwardly on the edge. The first thing Rikki noticed was the bandage on Tizzy's head, and she then noticed that Andy also had one. Rikki thought she would never see the day when Tizzy wasn't smiling, but that day was here.

"Tizzy, wake up now. What about Tubby? You can't possibly leave him! You mean everything to him and he will be so heart broken. Tizzy, who am I going to pick on?" Rikki let out a laugh and a small smile appeared on her face when she remembered all the times she made fun of Tizzy. The smile soon disappeared though. "I won't be able to make sarcastic comments when you act silly or dumb."

Rikki shook her head and stood up. Rina looked at her and saw the pain on her friends face. Rikki told Rina that she wanted to leave and Rina completely understood. As they left the room they could hear Nurse Joy and some of the doctors talking about a funeral. It had never crossed Rina or Rikki's minds before. They would have to hold a funeral but how would they contact Tizzy and Andy's families? How would they explain to said people that their child had been killed? Once they were in the lobby, the girls sat on a couch.

"Rina, I think I'm going to head home after the funeral. I don't want to travel anymore." Rikki told Rina. Rina wasn't angry at Rikki for saying that. How could she when she felt the same?

"I'm heading home too. I haven't achieved my goal of becoming champion but I don't care about that anymore. I can't keep travelling around Sinnoh without Tizzy and Andy."

"What do you think happened to Terry? I mean, I wonder if he is still at Mt Coronet." Rikki wondered. The thought of that man angered her.

"I would rather not talk about him right now if you don't mind. I'm going to call my mum." Rina stood up and made her way over to the phones. Rina was happy to see that they were all free; she didn't want other trainers eavesdropping on her conversation. Rina took out her phone and flicked through the numbers. When Rina saw the name 'Daniel' she frowned.

_I was meant to call him wasn't I? Ah well, that's the last thing on my list of things to do._

Rina came across her house number and dialled it into the video phone. After a few rings her mum's face popped up on the screen.

"Oh! Hello Rina. How are you? Have you been crying? What's happened? Are you okay? Answer me!" Catherine fired question after question and Rina sighed.

"Mum, something terrible has happened. I don't think you know Tizzy and Andy but they are two people I was travelling with, along with Rikki. We got into some trouble today and Team Elemental attacked us. Their Pokemon were too strong for us and both Tizzy and Andy were caught up in the attack. My Gallade teleported us to the Pokemon Centre in Celestic Town but Nurse Joy couldn't do anything and they died!" The words came spilling out of Rina's mouth and she felt as if she was going to cry again. Catherine looked shocked and sympathetic at once, but then she looked serious.

"Rina Summers, I want you to come home as soon as possible! I won't allow you to be caught up in this! I know you are upset that your friends are dead but I am serious."

"I know mum, Rikki and I have already decided to end our journey. Mum, what should I do about their families? I have no way of contacting them!" Rina fretted. Catherine searched her brain for an answer.

"Professor Rowan will sort that out. He should have access to the files of trainers in Sinnoh. I'm sure he could get the phone numbers. Why don't you give him a call?"

"I'll do that. I'll call you in a few days to let you know when I'm leaving to come back home. Bye mum, I love you."

"I love you too. Hurry home!"

Rina had then called Professor Rowan and had explained the whole situation to him. He told Rina that he did have access to the files and he promised to call Tizzy and Andy's families and tell them what had happened.

"Hang on, that may not be necessary." Rowan said.

"Why not? Their parents need to know!" Rina replied.

"Arceus is the creator of Sinnoh and she also has the ability to resurrect lives – people and Pokemon." Rina's face lit up and she called Rikki over.

"So you are saying Arceus could bring them back to life?" Rikki looked at Rina in a confused way and Rina repeated what Rowan had just said.

"It's not that easy. Something like that never is. Arceus won't agree straight away, you have to do something for her first."

"Like what?" Rikki inquired. She was intrigued to discover that there was still hope.

"It can be anything, but believe me it's not easy." Rowan warned them. Rina asked how he knew of this and Rowan told them that as a child he went through a similar situation. He said that when he was twenty three years old his Rapidash was caught up in a storm and it died. Rowan had been a Pokemon Researcher so he knew all about Arceus and after completing her request, Arceus resurrected his Rapidash.

"How impossible are her requests?" Rikki asked.

"They are never impossible, but they sure are tough. I had to search the lake around Twinleaf Town for one of her lost plates. It doesn't sound hard but it took weeks."

"Thank you Rowan. We better go now so we can track down Arceus and get this over with as soon as possible."

The girls said goodbye to Rowan and then approached Nurse Joy. They explained everything that Rowan had told them about and pleaded with her to keep the two bodies for a few weeks. Nurse Joy had reluctantly agreed and the three made their way to the room which contained Tizzy and Andy. When they entered they were astonished to see Arceus standing in one corner of the room.

"What the heck?" Rikki gasped.

"_Do not be afraid," _Arceus' voice was very feminine and it shocked the girls that she spoke. _"I over heard your conversation with Professor Rowan. Before you ask, I see and hear everything. Is it true that you really wish to resurrect your friends?"_

"O-of course we do!"

"_Then so be it. As you know, I will not resurrect them straight away. You must do something for me first."_

"What do you want us to do?" Rina asked, determined.

"_I lost my Icicle Plate in route 216 – which is just past Mt Coronet. I have tried to find it but I cannot dig through that much snow. You must find it for me and if you do, I will resurrect your friends."_

_A/N: And there we have it. Andy and Tizzy are dead. Rina and Rikki have a mission ahead of them, but will they fail or succeed? _

_This chapter wasn't as good as I had hoped it would be but I guess it will do. The reason for the lateness is this: I was trying to get the next chapter of 'Reincarnation' done for weeks but I just couldn't write it. The story just doesn't appeal to me anymore and the chapters don't link. So, I'm deleting it. I'll have more time write this story now :D_


	35. The Red Chain

_Ms Happy: You loser __ I know who you are ;D She did seem Mary-Sue in the first chapter didn't she..._

_Terutepi: I thank you for your input __ I agree, I'm not good at description and that... I'll try to make it more emotional next time._

_Autumnchronicles: I know! It's so sad. Think how Tubby must be feeling! _

_Define-Originality: I'm not sure if I should be happy or not that I made you cry xD Thanks for reviewing! I hope they succeed too._

After finding out the details of their mission to find the Icicle Plate, Rina and Rikki had started their long trek to Route 216. Before they left Celestic Town, the girls had gone to the police to report Terry. Rina had managed to survive a long two hour interview where she told the police of the events leading up to the death of their friends. Rina had avoided telling the police about Arceus – Arceus had told her the police didn't need to know about their little exchange. Less than an hour into the interview, Rikki had been asked to leave. She had had a go at a member of the police force, claiming that they were wasting precious time by asking silly questions such as 'how old were your friends?' Rina was then left to answer all the questions fired at her alone.

Now, the girls were halfway through Mt Coronet. The only Pokemon they had taken with them were Glaceon, Flareon and Rikki's Monferno. Route 216 was a chilly route and Arceus had told them they should be prepared when walking through knee deep snow. It was likely that a blizzard would occur, and so the girls decided to bring Pokemon that wouldn't be affected by the weather. The rest of the Pokemon – along with Happy the egg - were being looked after by Nurse Joy. As promised, Arceus was keeping the bodies of Tizzy and Andy. Nurse Joy had kindly equipped Rina and Rikki with suitable outfits. Both girls had changed out of their usual clothes and were now wearing jumpers, huge jackets, trousers and furry boots. They had also been provided with hats, gloves and scarves.

"I'm boiling!" Rikki complained while tugging at the neck of her green jumper.

"You wont be saying that when we get outside," Rina pointed out. "We should be out of here soon anyway."

Sure enough, the girls soon reached a part of the cave that had a pool in it. It was this very room where Tizzy and Andy had died. Rina and Rikki were standing just before the pool, inspecting the small room. Blood was visible on the walls where Tizzy and Andy had hit their heads. Both girls started to feel sick and so they carried on walking. After walking through a wide tunnel they finally reached the exit of the cave.

Once the left the cave they were greeted by snow that reached just below their knees and a harsh blizzard. Rina shielded her eyes with her gloved hand and shivered. The girls couldn't make out any of the surroundings in the distance; it just appeared to be a white blanket. A few trees stood a few feet away from them, but they were completely covered in snow.

"I-I'm definitely n-not b-boiling n-now," Rikki said while also shielding her eyes.

"L-lets g-get this o-over with a-as s-soon as p-possible," Rina replied.

"Which way are we supposed to go though? I can't see anything!" Rikki had gotten used to the blizzard and realised it wasn't actually that cold, it was just the wind that was the problem.

"Just walk forward," Rina concluded as she started to walk. Rikki followed behind her and sighed. This was going to be a long day.

Meanwhile, Terry and Samuel were finally at the very top of Mt Coronet. Tall pillars stood on either side of the mountain and at the very end stood two bigger pillars. Several Team Elemental grunts were looking around the area and bowed down to Terry when they saw him.

"Sir, everything is in place," a grunt informed him. Terry nodded and walked towards the larger pillars. Samuel followed him but his mind wasn't set on their task. He couldn't seem to get the image of two dead teenagers out of his head, no matter how much he tried.

Terry smiled as he reached the pillars that were significant to two legendary Pokemon: Dialga and Palkia. It wasn't the pillars he was smiling at however; it was the three pixies that were being held in separate cages. All three had scratches on them as if they had been in battle, and were in a weakened state. Terry motioned for Samuel to come closer.

"Wouldn't you agree this is our best plan yet, my dear friend?" Terry asked proudly. Samuel frowned at him and felt slightly disgusted that his boss was acting so calm, after having just killed two people.

"But sir, those kids-"

"Enough of those damn kids! They are not important right now. The most important thing right now is completing the Red Chain and summoning the other legendaries. I told those kids that no harm would be done to these Pokemon; I cannot believe they actually believed me!" Terry laughed and the other grunts laughed along with him. Samuel sighed and headed over to two of his team mates who were looking after the Red Chain.

"Samuel, what kids are you talking about? What happened?" The woman asked.

"We ran into four teenagers when were on our way up here. We battled for a while, but they couldn't win because Terry killed two of them!" Samuel explained in a loud whisper.

"What did the kids look like?" The man asked curiously. Samuel stroked his chin with his left hand and then shook his head.

"I didn't really take in their appearance but one of the girls had _pink _hair and this really big Snorlax. She may sound strange but boy was she cute!" Terry then called out to Samuel and instructed him to bring the unfinished Red Chain.

The man and woman stared at each other wide eyed. Both had worried expressions on their faces.

"The girl Samuel described sounds a lot like..."

"Tizzy," The man finished. The woman pulled out her phone and dialled a number.

"Hello?" The voice on the other end of the phone belonged to a woman.

"Ebony, it's me. Where are you?"

"Terry sent Karumo and me to check out a temple in Snowpoint – apparently Regigigas is inside the temple. Why do you ask?"

"You'll never guess what Terry has done. Stay in Snowpoint, we'll be over there as soon as possible." The woman hung up the phone and nodded to her partner. They approached Terry and told him Karumo and Ebony were having problems in Snowpoint and that they were going over to help. Terry waved them off and said they could go. They soon left, anxious to tell their friends what their boss had done.

Rina and Rikki had been digging in the snow on Route 216 for an hour and still hadn't come across the Icicle Plate. Route 216 wasn't that long and so the girls had a bit of hope that this task wasn't completely impossible. Rina had called out Glaceon to assist them and she was also digging in the snow. Rikki groaned as she stood up from where she was digging and walked to another spot. As she got on her knees to start digging, she remembered she had Monferno with her.

"I've had a great idea! We can get Monferno and Flareon to try and melt some of the snow. It would really help!"

"That's a great idea, but what if they burn the Icicle Plate?"

"Those things are practically indestructible. I had to research them once for Rowan and they cannot be broken or damaged," Rikki explained while she released Monferno. Rina shrugged and released Flareon, instructing him to use Flamethrower to melt the snow.

After another hour of digging and melting snow, they still hadn't seen any sign of the missing Icicle Plate. They had moved closer to Snowpoint City, but made sure they were still on Route 216. Along the way they had come across an abandoned cabin where they rested for a while. The girls – along with their Pokemon – decided to walk for a bit, to see if there were any side routes that connected to Route 216. The blizzard had died down by now and so it made it easier to see. A bright yellow sign caught Rikki's attention and the group walked over to it. The words 'do not pass' were printed on in bold black lettering. It seemed that the sign was there to prevent travellers from walking through the side route.

"Arceus said she had tried to find it but failed. Maybe that was because she searched on the main route! The Icicle Plate could be just beyond this sign," Rikki suggested. Rina looked at her like she was crazy.

"The sign clearly says 'do not pass'. It wouldn't be there for the sake of it. This route must be dangerous or something."

Rikki rolled her eyes and picked up the small sign. She dropped it on the floor and then covered the 'do not' part with snow.

"And now it clearly says 'pass'. Come on Rina, we need that plate."

Rikki and her Monferno made their way through the snow that covered the side route. Rina and her Pokemon reluctantly followed and seemed to calm down. It looked safe enough and seemed to just be another ordinary route. As they walked on the amount of snow seemed to lessen. It wasn't long before the snow reached their ankles and the girls were pleased that this route would be easier to search. The route was plain and no trees had grown there. All that was on the route was snow and the occasional boulder. After walking on the route for around fifteen minutes the girls reached a cave and noticed that it was a dead end. The only choice was to walk through the cave and see where it led too.

"I don't think the plate would have ended up in there, we may as well head back," Rina turned to leave but Rikki stopped her.

"Look!" Rina looked to where Rikki was pointing. At the entrance of the cave was an icy blue object in the shape of a rectangle. "That's the Icicle Plate. After researching these plates for Rowan I know that is one."

"Perfect! Let's get it and head back to Celestic Town," Rina walked to the cave and carefully picked up the plate. She was surprised to find that it wasn't all that heavy.

As Rina walked back to her friends she felt something touch her shoulder. Rina turned to face the thing that had touched her and found that it was an Abomasnow. The huge Pokemon were glaring at her and undoubtedly looked angry. Rina slowly backed away from the Pokemon and clutched onto the plate.

"I... think Abomasnow wants the plate."

The Abomasnow grunted and held out its hand. Rina shook her head and said that the plate didn't belong to it. Abomasnow growled and fired a Razor Leaf attack at Rina, who in turn yelped and avoided it. As Rina jumped out of the way she slipped and released her hold on the plate. It landed near the cave and Abomasnow immediately went to retrieve it.

"Monferno, don't let it get the plate! Flamethrower!" Monferno released a stream of flames from his mouth that hit Abomasnow on the back. The ice type turned around to face its attacker. "Now get the plate!" Monferno ran around the slower ice Pokemon and grabbed the plate. Abomasnow cried out and released a Razor Leaf attack. Monferno ran back to Rikki and handed her the plate.

"Guys, run!" The girls and the Pokemon frantically ran back the way they had come, the Abomasnow trailing them. Rina screamed as she ran and Rikki kept her grip on the plate. As they ran Rina noticed their Pokemon slowing down and Abomasnow was soon within arms reach of them. She quickly got hold of her Pokeballs and stopped running so she could return them.

"Rikki, you need to get Monferno in his Pokeball!" Rikki stopped running and turned around to see that Monferno was now being pinned down by Abomasnow. She hurriedly grabbed her Pokeball and returned her Pokemon, before the girls started running again.

"How are we going to lose it? It's not giving up!" Rina asked as she looked back to see how far away Abomasnow was.

"Just keep running!"

Terry grinned as the pixies struggled; he knew it was no use. There was no way they could prevent this. Three small shards of the Red Chain were broken off and one piece was placed in each of the cages. The gems on the pixies heads reacted to the bits of the Red Chain. All three Pokemon closed their eyes and when they opened them their eyes were glowing red.

"It's working," Terry said. "It's really working!"

Two flashes of light made Team Elemental shut their eyes, and when they opened them they saw two voids in the ground appear, one blue and one pink.

"Dialga, Palkia, come on out."

Rina and Rikki were back on the main route, having successfully lost the Abomasnow. Once they had reached the main route the Abomasnow had reluctantly stopped chasing them and retreated back to where it came from. Rina and Rikki were leaning against tree, not caring that it was covered in snow. They had run for a long time and they needed a rest.

"I told you we shouldn't have gone there, that Abomasnow nearly got us!" Rina scolded Rikki once she had caught her breath back. Rikki waved her hand and shrugged it off.

"We got the plate didn't we? Now let's get back to Celestic Town as soon as possible so we can get Andy and Tizzy back," Rikki replied as she and Rina started walking in the direction of Mt Coronet.

_A/N: I'm so sorry for taking a month to update this! But you have to understand, I'm doing my exams right now so I've been terribly busy. Sorry! I hope this chapter makes up for it._

_I'm pleased with how this chapter turned out. It's nothing like how I planned but that's okay. I originally wasn't going to have them find the plate this chapter but I wanted Tizzy and Andy return soon. I was also originally going to have Samuel tell Karumo and Ebony about the deaths, but then I remembered two characters that haven't appeared in this story yet. If you read Tizzy's Challenges then you should know who the mystery characters are. If you don't read it (which I hope you all do!) then you'll find out next chapter who they are. Not next chapter but the chapter after will be incredibly eventful. I can promise you that much. Old characters will appear, legendaries appear, and there is also some shocking news. _

_Before I end this, I want to ask you guys something. It's something I can't decide on so I thought I'd ask for your opinion. When Rina enters the Sinnoh League, do you think she should battle the Elite Four (Aaron, Bertha, Flint, Lucian and finally Cynthia) or should she battle ordinary trainers? (Like they do in the anime.) If you think she should battle normal trainers then I'll be needing a couple of OC's from you guys. _


	36. We Quit

_A/N: _

_Terutepi: You didn't offend me at all. I like to be given suggestions just as long as they aren't mean (you weren't mean don't worry.) Ha ha, the place is called Spear Pillar. I forgot too but I checked after I read your review._

_Autumnchronicles: I love Rikki too! She's my favourite character._

_Define-Originality: Thanks for the review!_

Once Rina and Rikki had reached the Pokemon Centre they were escorted to a room at the back by Nurse Joy. Arceus was waiting in the room, along with Andy and Tizzy who were lying lifelessly on the cold hard floor. Arceus inspected the Icicle Plate carefully and finally nodded. Rina looked at her dead friends and frowned.

'_Couldn't Nurse Joy have at least made them comfortable?' _

"You have the Plate so you can revive them right?" Rikki asked impatiently. She was starting to feel sick at being in the same room as two dead people.

"Yes, I can. I must warn you though; I only do this once for a person. If either of you lost someone in the future I wouldn't be able to help. It may sound harsh but that's the way it works." Rikki raised an eyebrow but nodded. It _did _sound harsh but then again, if Arceus was to keep reviving people the world would just be... odd.

"And another thing, as soon as the process is done I will leave before they wake up. They won't recall any events leading up to their deaths and if they see me they may become suspicious."

Arceus looked at the two bodies before her and shut her eyes. Nothing happened for a few moments but a strange white light suddenly surrounded Arceus. The white light then passed onto Tizzy and then Andy. As soon as the light was beginning to fade, Rina and Rikki thanked Arceus before she left, taking the Plate with her. Silence overtook the room for a couple of minutes but then a soft moan could be heard. Andy's eyes fluttered open and looked around the room in a confused manner.

"What the...?"

"Take it easy," Nurse Joy rushed over to the boy and pressed the back of her hand against his forehead. "You've been unconscious for a few days. You had a nasty bump to your head."

"I can't remember anything that happened after I was attacked in Mt Coronet. It's like I wasn't even alive after that!" Rikki laughed nervously.

"Don't be silly! Of course you were alive."

Andy stood up and stretched. He assured Nurse Joy that he was just fine when she continued to fuss over him. He then looked down and noticed Tizzy. When he asked what had happened to her Rina told him that she was also attacked and had been unconscious too.

"Tubby... I want cake too... leave me some..." The three teenagers laughed as Tizzy began to speak in her sleep. It wasn't long before she was fully awake and was demanding answers. Rina told her what had happened after Nurse Joy had checked her over the four friends made their way to the lobby to collect their Pokemon.

"Tubby! I've missed you so much!"

Tizzy leapt at Tubby when she released him from his ball and they shared a long embrace. Andy released his Ivysaur but didn't receive any affection.

(Aw man! The geek is alive! Looks like I'll have to continue being his servant.)

"Ivysaur, I've missed you too!" Andy hugged his beloved Ivysaur while she just rolled her eyes.

(He's dumber than I thought.)

Rina and Rikki had also collected their Pokemon and Sparky was once again sitting on her trainers shoulder. Andy recalled Ivysaur and Nurse Joy walked up to him. She had a Pokeball in her hand and she was smiling at the boy.

"Your egg hatched while you were unconscious." Nurse Joy handed Andy the ball and he gaped at it.

"I didn't get to see it hatch... Did you guys see it?" He asked Rina and Rikki. They both shook their heads and told him that it must have hatched while they were out. Tizzy urged him to release the Pokemon that was to remain being called 'Happy'. Andy enlarged the ball and pressed the button in the middle. The Pokemon that emerged had a small blue body and what looked like cotton balls on either side of it.

"Awww! It's a fluffy marshmallow!" Tizzy cooed as she picked up the 'marshmallow'. She stared at it with a look of hunger on her face and she suddenly licked the small Pokemon.

"Blu!" The little Pokemon pecked Tizzy on the nose and she squealed.

"Tizzy, don't eat it!"

Andy snatched the Pokemon away from her and asked Nurse Joy what it was. She confirmed that it was called a Swablu and it was a boy. Andy smiled at Happy the Swablu and then returned him. Rikki asked her two friends if they were up for travelling or if they wanted to relax for the rest of the afternoon. Andy laughed and assured her they felt fine.

Four adults sat in a small cafe in Snowpoint City; each of them enjoying a hot chocolate. It was the perfect beverage to have while they were in the coldest part of Sinnoh. They had just met up with each other and had a lot to discuss.

"Hold on, you're telling us Terry actually killed two kids? And one of them is Tizzy?" A woman asked. The man sitting opposite her nodded and continued.

"Yes Ebony, he killed her and her boyfriend. Selene and I see Tizzy as a friend; she is a sweet girl." Selene nodded in confirmation of Saul's story. Ebony looked at her partner Karumo and they both scowled.

"We don't care much for those kids but we would never want them dead. How could Terry do such a thing?" Karumo slammed his fist down on the table in anger.

"I don't know about you two, but Saul and I didn't join this team to kill." Karumo and Ebony nodded and said they hadn't known Terry would go as far as murder. Selene took a sip of her hot chocolate but as she was about to set her mug down on the table, she gasped. Saul gave her a questioning look and she simply pointed at Ebony's hand.

"You are engaged?" Ebony blushed and looked away. She had forgotten she was still wearing her engagement ring. She wasn't planning on telling her friends until she had spoken to Terry and told him she was quitting Team Elemental.

"Truth is, Karumo proposed to me not that long ago." Selene and Saul gasped but then grinned and congratulated them. "To be honest, Karumo and I were going to quit Team Elemental. We were just waiting for the right time."

"Why are you quitting?" Saul asked.

"We feel that Team Elemental isn't right for us. I want to start a family with Ebony but we can't do that if we are apart of that team. Now that we know Terry has murdered two kids, we're definitely quitting. We were also planning on getting revenge on my dad, but we've had no luck in tracking him down." Selene nodded and said that she and Saul were also going to quit the team. The four adults remained silent as they finished their hot chocolates. A news report caught their attention and they looked at the small TV on the counter.

"An evil organisation known as Team Elemental are known for stealing others Pokemon and experimenting on them. But who would have thought that the leader would kill two teenagers? A female known as Tizzy and a male known as Andy were killed several days ago after the leader set his Blastiose on them. However, there have been recent sightings of the two teenagers in a Pokemon Centre in Celestic Town. No one knows how this is possible but the police are currently looking into it."

The four adults sat at the table stared at the TV in disbelief. Tizzy and Andy were alive? Suddenly, Karumo piped up.

"It's said that Arceus can revive people. I'm not suggesting that Arceus did revive them, but it is a possibly right?" His friends nodded and then Ebony smiled widely.

"I know how we can repay Andy. Even though we didn't kill him it would be a nice gesture, wouldn't it? Okay guys, listen up..."

Rina and Rikki were currently trailing behind Andy and Tizzy as they discussed important issues. It was Tizzy's birthday in two days and they were trying to plan a surprise party. The only problem was figuring out how to get to Kanto in time. Kanto was the home to Tizzy's parents and the two girls were eager to hold Tizzy's party there. The four teenagers were currently making their way through Mt Coronet so that they could get to route 217 which then led on to Snowpoint. Nurse Joy had been kind enough to borrow them all warmer clothes.

"Maybe Rowan can get hold of some tickets? I know there is a boat that leaves Snowpoint and goes to Kanto." Rina suggested.

"Do you think he would be able too?"

"He is the Professor, he has contacts. Hey Tizzy! Can I borrow your phone when we get outside please?" Tizzy shouted 'sure thing' and then resumed her conversation with Andy.

After a few more minutes of walking through the cave a man who looked to be in his fifties stopped them. His hair was on the verge of turning grey and he was dressed in all green. He seemed to be minding his own business and it looked like he was inspecting the walls. He kept mumbling things to himself and stroking his chin.

"Hey! Feel like a quick battle?" The man slowly turned to look at Rina who had suddenly asked for a battle. He smirked and reached for a Pokeball.

"Are you sure about that young lady?"

"Sure I am. Three Pokemon each and switching out Pokemon aren't allowed." Rikki sighed and sat down on the floor along with Tizzy and Andy.

"Why does she have to ask for a battle now? All I want to do is sleep." Rikki moaned.

Rina grabbed a Pokeball and released her Staraptor. The man grinned and threw his own Pokeball, releasing a Pokemon that made everyone gasp.

"You have a Regirock?" Andy said in disbelief. Regirock was a legendary Pokemon only found in Hoenn.

"Don't look so surprised young man. Regirock start with a Stone Edge!"

(You better watch out birdie.) Regirock fired several sharp rocks at Staraptor that stabbed her in the stomach. Staraptor cried out in pain and dropped to the floor. Rina blinked and her jaw dropped when she saw that Staraptor was knocked out after one hit.

"What the heck? Why did she go down so fast? Regirock may be a legendary Pokemon but it's not the strongest. It shouldn't have finished off Staraptor that quickly," Rina rambled on as she recalled Staraptor to her ball. The man also recalled his Regirock and took another ball off his belt, ignoring Rina's question.

"Regice, I need your assistance!" The man released a Pokemon similar to his last.

"I could use Flareon because he has the advantage, but Sparky has Iron Tail. Sparky, get in there!" Rina's Pikachu jumped onto the field and glared at the legendary ice type. The man gave Rina an angry look but she thought nothing of it.

"ICE LOLLY!" Tizzy's eyes lit up and she jumped up from her seat. Before she could rush over to the Pokemon that Tizzy thought was an ice lolly, Rikki grabbed her arm and yanked her back down.

"First you lick an innocent little Swablu and now you want to eat a Regice? Wow Tizzy, that bump on your head must have caused some major damage to your head. Maybe we should book an appointment with the doctor," Rikki said with a grin.

"Rikki, if I go without food for too long I _see _things," Tizzy replied with a scared look on her face.

"What kind of things?" Andy asked with a worried look.

"Everything looks like food!" Tizzy cried, gripping onto Andy's arms.

Rikki sighed and looked at Andy. "She's completely lost it."

"Iron Tail!" Sparky jumped in the air while her tail glowed. She somersaulted in the air twice before slamming her tail against Regice. The ice type didn't budge as it was hit and it looked like it hadn't felt a thing.

"Ice beam," the man ordered calmly. Regice fired an icy-cold beam at Sparky, which struck her small body.

"Chuuuuu," Sparky yelped and then fell to the floor. Just like Staraptor, Sparky had been knocked out in one hit. Rina stared at her fallen Pokemon in surprise, and then approached her. Rina took a Revive out of her bag and fed it to Sparky.

"I don't think there is any point in continuing this battle."

"How did you beat me so easily? My Pokemon aren't the strongest but they don't go down in one hit."

"Did you really expect to defeat a member of the battle frontier?" Rina stared at him in shock. She had no idea who he was; she thought he was just an ordinary trainer.

"Tell me young lady, why do you rely on your Pikachu so much?" Rina asked what he meant so he told her. "I've watched a couple of your battles against the gym leaders on TV. I saw you send out your Pikachu against a Bastiodon when you battled Byron. And in our battle you said you had a Flareon but you went with your Pikachu. You rely on type advantages in every one of your battles, don't you?"

"I guess I do sometimes..."

"And you rely on your Pikachu. Do you think your other Pokemon aren't strong enough?" Rina's friends watched her carefully, waiting for a reply. It was true what this guy was saying. Rikki and Andy had noticed it too. Tizzy not so much; she just cared about Tubby and cake.

"Okay maybe I _do _think Sparky is stronger and able to win battles but-" Rina stopped talking when she noticed the anger in the mans eyes.

"NO! You do NOT rely on one Pokemon! That is NOT how a trainer should act!" His voice bellowed and all four teenagers flinched at his tone. "And you FAVOUR your Pikachu! By the looks of it only your Pikachu has a nick name. I think you should trust your other Pokemon more than you do." With that the man recalled Regice and exited the cave.

The four remained silent as they continued through the cave. It was only when they exited the cave and reached route 217 the silence was broken by Andy.

"He had a point Rina," Andy said carefully.

"I know he did," Rina sighed. "By the way Tizzy, I think I should use your phone when the blizzard dies down." Tizzy shivered and nodded in agreement.

She hadn't thought about it before but what that man said was completely true. She always relied on either a type advantage or Sparky. She would have to spend more time with her other Pokemon and learn to not send out Sparky when she was losing a battle. The group of friends trekked through the snow with their teeth chattering and the blizzard pushing them backwards. They were about half way through route 217 and there was no sign of a conversation taking place any time soon.

"I like cake." Rina couldn't help but laugh at her friend's randomness. It was always Tizzy who made someone laugh or smile. How could Rina stay upset when she was around Tizzy? It just wasn't possible.

_A/N: I have good news guys! My final exams are over! You know what that means don't you? More time to update! –Claps- _

_That battle with Brandon (I'm sure you all guessed who he was) wasn't random. There was a reason behind it: I started to think that Rina was such a Mary-Sue so I've decided to throw in a few battles over the next few chapters, some of which she will win and some she will lose. I hope it stops her being a Mary-Sue... _

_Team Elemental are going to be losing four members (which you already know) and that also has some significance. I can't reveal what though. Andy's egg was originally going to be a Togepi but that would have been cliché and boring. SO! On Platinum I started training a Swablu and so I decided Andy gets one too _

_Expect updates to be more frequent guys. Oh, and I have something to tell you all. Sinnoh Challenges will be coming to an end soon! I've had fun writing it but I have to admit, I'm getting bored of it. There will probably be another seven chapters. Maybe more. _


	37. A Long Journey

As soon as the group reached Snowpoint City, Rikki and Andy took Tizzy to the shop to buy sweets while Rina went to the Pokemon Centre to have a private talk with Rowan. Rina had told him about it being Tizzy's 16th tomorrow, and as it was her 16th Rina felt it was important for Tizzy to be with her family in Kanto. Rowan stopped Rina when she began to beg for tickets.

"I'm truly sorry Rina but it is such short notice. I don't have any tickets for the boat ride to Kanto," Rowan said with an apologetic look on his face.

"Oh."

"You could always go to the dock and buy four tickets if there are any left."

"Okay I'll try that. Thanks anyway Professor," Rina said before hanging up.

Rina should have known that getting four tickets to Kanto at such short notice would prove to be difficult. She had money but she didn't think Tizzy would, and it would be Rikki or Andy that ended up buying Tizzy sweets, which meant one of them would also be short on money.

"Pika pi!" Sparky tugged on Rina's hair (fairly hard) and gave her an angry look.

"What is up with you? Ever since we arrived here you've been acting weird," Rina asked, fixing her Pikachu with a concerned look.

(The communication barrier is really annoying. Humans are so forgetful,) Sparky said with a sigh. Sparky jumped onto the floor and pointed towards the door. She then ran out of the Pokemon Centre and headed to the right.

"Wait up!" Rina quickly dropped Staraptor's ball onto the desk and told Nurse Joy she would come back for her later, and then ran out of the Pokemon Centre. Rina looked to her right and saw her Pikachu standing outside the shop. Rina slapped her hand against her forehead when she realised what Sparky was trying to tell her.

"I totally forgot about the Thunderstone!" Rina ran inside the shop and approached the man behind the counter. She gave her name and ID number and he handed her a yellow box that was slightly larger than her hand. Rina thanked him and put the box safely inside her bag. Rina glanced at the other counter and saw her friends paying for whatever they had bought. Rina joined them and once they had paid, the group headed outside.

"Look what Rikki and Andy bought me!" Tizzy showed Rina a bag full of different sweets, unable to contain her excitement. Amongst the fizzy sweets Rina noticed about seven gummy Teddiursa's – her favourite sweet ever. Rina grinned and decided she would pinch a couple when Tizzy wasn't looking. That is if any were left by then.

"So Rina, I guess we are going to go to the boring gym now," Tizzy said, not paying much attention to what she was doing. She grabbed a small handful of sweets and threw them into her mouth. A couple of sweets dropped to the floor and Tizzy gasped.

"FIVE SECOND RULE!" Tizzy quickly picked up the sweets and ate them, not bothering to remove the bits of snow stuck to them. Rikki looked absolutely disgusted.

"Actually, we are going for a boat ride. Tizzy, do you mind going back to the Pokemon Centre and picking up Staraptor for me please?"

"Sure thing Rina!" Rina watched as Tizzy skipped to the Pokemon Centre and when she was sure she was out of ear shot, Rina turned to her other friends.

"We have a major problem."

Rina explained the whole situation as quickly as she could. Once she was finished, the three decided to go ahead to the dock and ask about prices and such. They found out that there were a few tickets left, but they were really pricey.

"If we put our money together we would still only have enough for two and a half tickets!" Andy moaned.

"I have an idea," Rikki said. Rina looked at Rikki nervously: her ideas usually consisted of something illegal or dangerous.

"I don't think this is such a good idea," Rina said while she looked around nervously.

Once the boat was about to leave, Rikki had climbed onto the back of the boat and made herself comfortable in the small storage room where supplies were kept, while her friends also boarded the boat.

Rikki looked at Rina and sighed. "Oh don't be boring! We need to get to Kanto and this is the only way."

"Why are we going to Kanto? Can we visit my family?" Tizzy asked, unable to contain her excitement. Everyone went silent, unable to answer the question.

"No we can't. We have to go to Pallet Town and see Professor Oak!" Andy said quickly. Rina smiled at him great fully. Tizzy looked at the floor sadly and sniffed. Realising she was about to cry, Rikki handed her a small piece of chocolate cake that she had meant to eat ages ago, but had forgotten it was even in her bag. Of course that was enough to please her.

"Give me that now." A boy who looked to be around the age of twelve emerged from behind a particularly big crate. When no one replied he spoke once more.

"I said give me that cake!"

The four friends suddenly burst into laughter at the young boy. He was trying to come across as someone you wouldn't want to mess with but he looked like a younger Andy: thin and weak. He wore big square glasses and had neat ginger hair. Tizzy took a huge bite out of her cake and smiled happily. Angry that he was being ignored, the boy stood up and marched over to Tizzy. He smacked the cake out of her hand and it crumbled as it hit the floor. He then grabbed Tizzy by her wrist and forced her to stand up. His strength surprised Tizzy; he had a firm hold on her arm. Upon instinct, Tizzy kicked the boys shin but he some how ignored the pain. He dragged Tizzy to the door and pressed her against the rail of the boat.

"You should have listened to me. You are going to go for a little swim now," he threatened. Rikki stood up to approach the boy and give him a piece of her mind, but Andy beat her to it. Andy marched over the boy and grabbed the front of his shirt.

"Get your hands off of her," Andy said through gritted teeth. The boy let go of Tizzy and glared at Andy. Andy gulped as he realised what he was doing. Although the boy was a few years younger, Andy knew he was useless at fighting. Andy struggled against the boy as he lashed out and started yelling at Andy to get lost. Andy ducked when the boy swung at him but Tizzy was in the wrong place at the wrong time. The boy's fist connected with Tizzy's arm and she gasped in pain.

"Ouch..." Tizzy's eyes filled with tears and she threw her head back to face the sky and started sobbing uncontrollably. Not wanting anyone to hear her, Rina dragged Tizzy back in the storage room and shut her up by giving her the remaining sweets. Anger flared in Andy's eyes. He shoved the boy as hard as he could and the boy flipped over the railings and into the sea.

"I didn't mean to do that!" Andy said in despair. He thought about helping the boy but he had already released an Azumarill. By the time he regained his composure, the boat was already picking up speed and the boy was left behind. Andy went back into the storage room and noticed Tizzy had already gotten over her aching arm. Rikki stared at him in awe.

"I will never make fun of you again Andy..."

Four hours had passed since they boarded the boat and the boat was coming to a stop. Rina poked her head out of the door and yelped when she came across the captain looking down at her. Rina grinned sheepishly and waved at him. Within minutes, the four had been chucked off of the boat for not having tickets.

"Where are we?" Rina asked as she looked at the surroundings.

"We are in Vermilion City!" Tizzy replied.

"So how far is it from here to Pewter?" Rina asked Tizzy.

"It's quite far actually. I thought we had to go and see Professor Oak?"

"We decided you should see your family first," Rikki told her.

"Yay! I'll lead the way! Come on troops!"

It took the group longer then it should take to get through Route 6 and through Saffron because there were so many trainers hanging around wanting to battle. The Pokemon around these parts were unfamiliar to Rina but Andy and Tizzy had identified each one. The trainers mainly had Pidgey, Rattata, Meowth and Zubat. When they had reached Saffron City the group hadn't stopped for a rest as they were eager to get to Pewter City for tomorrow morning. It took another half an hour of walking to reach Cerulean City and by that time it was already 7:30pm.

"We should stay here for the night and leave early tomorrow. There is a hotel we could try and stay in," Andy suggested. Everyone agreed with his plan and followed Andy to a small run down hotel.

The inside of the hotel looked fairly better than the outside. They decided to get one room between them with two sets of bunk beds. Rina flopped down onto the bed and Sparky lay down beside her.

"So tired..."

"We're going down to the canteen to get some food. Do you want us to bring you something?" Andy asked. Rina nodded and when her friends had left the room, she forced herself to get up and change into her pyjamas. Once she was changed, Rina decided to take a nap.

Rina yawned and sat up and looked at the clock. Her friends had been gone for nearly an hour and they still hadn't returned. Rina shook Sparky and told her she was going to look for the others. Rina put on her slippers and quickly brushed her hair. She didn't care if she wasn't dressed in her normal clothes; she was too hungry to even bother about looking normal. Rina jumped when she heard someone pounding on the door. She opened the door and recognised the man standing there looking angry as the hotel owner. Her three missing friends were standing behind the owner looking guilty. Rina frowned when she saw Tizzy covered in various foods.

"I want you and your friends out of my hotel in two minutes! Grab your stuff and leave!"

"Why?"

"Why? WHY? I'll tell you why! Your blonde rebel friend was caught stealing money and supplies from behind my desk. As for your odd friend here, she was wrecking havoc down stairs with her hungry Snorlax. They were raiding the canteen and didn't leave any food for the others! And the boy was with them and you are with them so you all have to leave!" With that, the man stormed off in a huff. Rina grabbed her bag and glared at her friends.

After leaving the hotel the group walked to the Pokemon Centre but it was completely full. It was getting dark and the group knew they would have to sleep outside. The only problem was they didn't have sleeping bags. The city was pretty much empty so finding a free bench wasn't hard. Two benches sat facing each other on the outskirts of the city. Rina lay down on one bench with Sparky and said the other three would have to share one bench.

"That's hardly fair Rina," Rikki said angrily.

"You want to talk to me about fair? The reason why we have no where to sleep is all because you and Tizzy were being stupid," Rina fought back.

"Well we did apologise! And Andy didn't do anything so why should he suffer any more than you?"

"You know what? You're right Rikki. Andy can share my bench!" Andy jumped up and joined Rina on her bench.

"Now who's being stupid? You've just given Tizzy and I more room!"

"Oh? It looks like Tizzy is already asleep. Did you know she likes to stretch out?" Rina grinned as Rikki looked down at the energetic girl and saw she was taking up the whole bench. The only space left was the spot where Rikki was sitting. Rikki groaned.

"Have a nice sleep Rikki!" Rina said in a mocking tone.

The next morning the friends awoke earlier than they would usually because they were sleeping outside and didn't want too many people to see them. None of them had managed to get a good nights sleep and it was obvious because of the way they looked. Rikki's hair was sticking out all over the place and she had an angry expression on her face. Rina blushed when she realised she was still in her pyjamas and she was forced to hide behind some bushes while she changed.

They were running low on food and supplies but the only shop in the city was still closed and so it was decided they would have to use their remaining supplies sparingly until they reached another shop.

Once they had left Cerulean, the four trainers headed west and after a short walk, reached a cave called Mt Moon. The last cave adventure through a cave ended badly and because of this, no one wanted to go through this cave even though Terry definitely wouldn't be in it. Andy informed then that the only way to Pewter was through this cave and after much hesitation; Rikki was forced to release Tubby and order him to carry Tizzy through the cave because she was being difficult.

Mt Moon was less eerie compared to Mt Coronet so after a while Tubby let Tizzy down. Several rookie trainers with Pokemon under level 20 challenged the group but Tubby had wiped them all out with his Hyper Beam attack. Half way through the cave the group stopped to take a rest.

By the time they had gotten out of the cave it was nearing 9:00am but they still had a thirty minute walk ahead of them before they reached Pewter City. Tizzy's friends could only hope that they would reach Tizzy's house soon.

**A/N: Quick note just to say that I've been on holiday so that's why I haven't updated. I'm going to ANOTHER holiday tomorrow so I just wanted to get a chapter up. I'm off to get ready for a wedding reception now! Next chapter will be Tizzy's birthday.**

**I'll reply to reviews when I next update **


	38. Happy Birthday Tizzy

The sun was beating down on the four travellers which slowed them down quite a lot. Well, Tizzy pushed her self to walk faster because she was eager to get home as soon as possible. Rina and Andy had to jog every now and again to catch up with her and the long strides she was taking. Rikki on the other hand was dragging her feet along and made no attempt to catch up. They would just have to wait for her. Little kids pounced on the group demanding they battle but Tizzy would just move them out of the way and carry on walking with a huge grin fixed on her face.

After a tiring walk Pewter City was finally in sight. Tizzy stood on the outskirts of her hometown, her hands clasped together and an excited look on her face. She released Tubby from his ball so he could take it all in with her.

"We're finally home Tubby," Tizzy breathed out.

"Laxxxxx."

Tizzy's friends joined her and took in their surroundings. Pewter City wasn't as big as Cerulean City and it certainly wasn't as beautiful. It seemed the main attractions were the gym and a huge building behind the gym. Scientists were rushing in and out carrying weird objects that looked like fossils.

"Do you think Tizzy's parents have set everything up?" Rina whispered into Rikki's ear.

"They better have. I want to flop down on a comfortable chair with some food."

"Come on guys! My house is next door to the gym!" Tizzy led the way to her house which was clearly bigger than the other houses that they passed.

Tizzy knocked on her front door which was painted pink and waited for a reply. Rina and Andy stood a few feet away from the door, peering around Tizzy shyly. Rina beckoned for Rikki to stand back and not be so rude but Rikki stayed where she was: right beside Tizzy and right in front of the door.

The door opened soon after and the kids were greeted by a tall man with spiky hair. Tizzy's dad was Brock and he was famous for being the Pewter City gym leader. Being from Sinnoh meant that Rina and Rikki thought he was just an ordinary guy.

"Daddy!" Tizzy threw her long arms around her dad's neck and he laughed and hugged her back.

"It's great to see you again Tizzy! Darling, Tizzy's home!" A pink haired woman approached the door and laughed heartily at her daughter. Tizzy's mum was the Nurse Joy of Pewter City.

"Mom!" Tizzy let go of her dad and threw her arms around her mum.

"How are you? I hope you haven't gotten into any trouble," Tizzy's mum pulled away from her daughters embrace and looked at her sternly. The group went quiet.

"Of course not mom. I'm just fine!" Tizzy promised. It wasn't a complete lie; she really was fine now. She just wasn't fine about a week ago...

"Joy don't worry, our Tizzy has her friends with her. Now let's get you all inside and we can introduce ourselves properly," Brock said as he moved aside to allow the teenagers to come inside. Rikki rushed inside and Rina and Andy followed behind nervously. Tizzy entered her house and then instructed Tubby to go around to the garden and wait there.

Tizzy's house was absolutely lovely. Everything was neatly in place and there was no mess to be seen. Wooden chairs were placed in the centre of the room in a circle and there was a drawing on the wall that looked like it was the work of Sunshine – Tizzy's two year old sister. The drawing was a yellow blob with two black triangles on the top and two red circles were scribbled on. There was also a Ponyta piñata. Balloons were scattered around the room and a big banner hung on the wall that said "Happy 6th Birthday Tizzy!" Rikki raised her eyebrow when she saw it.

"We're going to play some fun games later on! We have pass the parcel, pin the tail on the Pikachu, musical chairs..." Rikki groaned as Joy listed off all the games that you would expect at a six year old's party.

Rina noticed a girl who looked to be around two or three sitting on the sofa cuddling a Teddiursa. Rina figured that was Sunshine: Tizzy's younger sister. Tizzy was sitting next to her little sister and seemed to be playing with her. Tizzy had been eager to see Sunshine and it was clear that Tizzy missed her a lot.

Brock motioned for everyone to follow him into the garden. The garden was well looked after and it was fairly big. A rope swing had been tied to a huge tree that sat in the corner of the back of the garden. A huge table had been laid out and was decorated with a pink table cloth. Various party foods were neatly laid on the table and paper plates and cups were stacked up on one end of the table. Tizzy sat in one of the seats and began to pile her plate up high with every food that was available. Forgetting her manners, Rikki followed suit and dove straight in while Rina and Andy hung back nervously. Joy busied herself by sitting Sunshine in a high chair and asking her what food she wanted. Brock turned to Rina and Andy.

"No need to be shy, we won't bite," Brock laughed. "Your friend Rikki certainly isn't shy!"

Rina laughed nervously. "I'm sorry about her. She just forgets her manners sometimes."

"No need to apologise. I would feel a lot better if you copied her and helped yourself."

Rina and Andy looked at each other and shrugged. They took a plate each and soon enough everyone was sitting down and eating while listening to Tizzy chatter on and on about her journey so far. Tizzy urged Andy to show her parents Happy and so he shyly released the baby Swablu from his ball. Brock looked at the Swablu and stroked his chin.

"You haven't spent much time with him have you Andy?" Brock asked. Andy looked at him in shock. How did he know that?

"I'm a Pokemon breeder as well as a gym leader. It shows that you haven't bonded with him."

Once they had finished eating Tizzy spent some time playing with Tubby, Sunshine, Teddiursa and Sparky. Rina and Andy helped Joy and Brock clear away the plates while Rikki sat on the swing.

"I can't believe I have to play kids games at a teenager's party," Rikki grumbled miserably. "Maybe I could try and get myself eliminated so I won't have to endure the pain and embarrassment."

"Rikki, we're going to start playing the games now! Hurry up or you will miss out on the fun!" Andy called out to her before him and Tizzy went back inside to join the others. Sunshine was taking a nap upstairs so it would be just be four teenagers and two adults playing games that they were too old for.

"Oh joy! I can't wait! Save me a seat!" Rikki called back sarcastically.

/\\

Tizzy was practically jumping in her seat as the music played and the parcel was being passed around the room. Layers had already been ripped off and chucked to the floor so the game was nearing the end. The parcel reached Tizzy and she held it with a grin on her face. When she didn't pass it onto Rina, Brock told her she couldn't hold it for that long and had to pass it to the next person. Rikki sighed. This had been going on for too long. Every time the parcel reached Tizzy she refused to give it up and threw a tantrum. Tizzy sighed and gave the parcel to Rina. The parcel went around the room two more times and Joy still hadn't stopped the music. Irritated, Rikki slyly kicked the stereo that was beside her feet and the music stopped when she was holding the parcel.

'_Great, I didn't even realise I was holding it...'_

"Oooo it landed on you Rikki! Open it quick!" Tizzy urged her with a grin.

'_How exciting...' _Rikki thought while she ripped it open. A Squirtle pencil sharpener fell onto Rikki's lap and she stared at it.

'_Are they serious?' _Rikki faked a smile and shoved the sharpener into Rina's bag. '_She can have it.'_

Rikki carelessly tossed the final parcel to the person next to her and it carried on around the room. The music stopped on Tizzy purposefully and she grinned. The final parcel was small and square. Tizzy opened it carefully and gasped.

"It's a memory card for your BlukBerry. The guy in the shop told us it holds the most files or something like that. Happy birthday Tizzy," Brock smiled as his daughter inserted the memory card into her phone.

"I love it, thank you both!"

"Now let's have a game of musical chairs!" Joy jumped up and cried excitedly.

Rikki groaned and slumped into her seat.

/\\

Tizzy had somehow won the game of musical chairs. Even though she cheated and it was clear Andy was the best at the game, Tizzy insisted she was the winner and so everyone went along with it. The game they were going to play next was pin the tail on the Pikachu and it was the one of the two games that Rikki didn't mind. Watching a person being blindfolded, spun around and then ordered to pin the tail on the Pikachu was her kind of entertainment. Tubby was worn out and so he sleeping in the garden and Sparky had decided to join this game.

Tizzy wanted to go first so Andy blindfolded her with a scarf and then spun her around. Tizzy giggled happily as she tried to walk once Andy was finished spinning her. She had been handed a pin that had a Pikachu's tail tied to one end. Rina ducked when Tizzy swung her arm at her. Tizzy held her arms out in front of her and started to feel for things. She walked into the sofa and then managed to find Sparky's cheek. Tizzy grinned and grabbed Sparky and held her close while she felt for Sparky's tail. When she found it Tizzy moved the pin closer and closer to Sparky. The frightened Pikachu squealed and Rina yanked Sparky from Tizzy. Not knowing what was happening, Tizzy panicked and stupidly chucked the pin which happened to prick Rikki's arm. A small dribble of blood trickled down Rikki's arm while she glared at Tizzy who had removed the scarf. Joy gasped and rushed to get the first aid.

"I think that's the end of this game," Brock said while he carefully removed the pin from Rikki's arm.

"Yes," Rikki agreed. "I think that's the best thing I've heard all day."

Rikki soon got over her minor injury and got involved with battering the Ponyta piñata. It didn't take long for the sweets to spill out onto the floor and the teenagers scrambled to grab as many as they could. While the kids piled on the sofa and shared the sweets, Joy and Brock cleared up the mess and removed the chairs. The lights were suddenly dimmed and Brock came in holding a huge chocolate cake. The happy birthday song was sung while Tizzy blew out her candles and the cake was cut.

It had taken well over an hour for them to finish the cake and sweets because they ate slowly so they could talk about any subject that came up. Brock was keen to hear about Rina's Pokemon and so they had engaged in their own little conversation. It was nearing 4:45pm and it was only then that they realised just how quickly the day had gone by. Joy had left the room to go upstairs and check on Sunshine and when she came back downstairs she was holding a present.

"This is your second present Tizzy. I know you really wanted this so I went to Celadon to get this specially," Joy said as she handed the present to her daughter.

Tizzy opened it and held up the item of clothing to show her friends. It looked like a Snorlax suit and Joy said it was actually pyjamas. The hood had Snorlax ears and there was a zip that ran down the front of the suit. The feet had small claws on the end and Tizzy quickly stuffed her clothes into her bag and decided she was going to wear the suit all the time. She ignored the protests from her parents and her friends.

Rina presented Tizzy with a purple case and some stickers and a ball capsule. Tizzy politely asked what the items were.

"The purple case is where you keep contest ribbons. You put your Pokemon in this see through capsule and put a sticker on it and when you release your Pokemon it looks amazing for contests. I've heard you talking to Tubby and I know you wanted to give contests in Sinnoh a try so I thought I would buy you the stuff you would need."

Tizzy smiled thankfully at Rina and promised her that she would enter a contest when they got back to Sinnoh. Rikki then handed Tizzy a book that had "Pokemon Training for Dummies" written on the front. A line had been drawn through the word 'dummies' as Rikki didn't want Tizzy to think Rikki thought she was dumb. Tizzy was oblivious to it all and threw her arms around Rikki.

Andy had his hands behind his back when he walked up to Tizzy. He smiled at her warmly and then handed her an Azurill plush. Tizzy squealed and rubbed it against her cheek, telling him that she loved it.

"In memory of Pipin," Andy smiled at Tizzy and she smiled back.

"Thanks so much everyone. This has been the best birthday ever!" Tizzy demanded for a group hug and she pulled everyone together.

"Aww, it would be a shame for you all to leave tonight. Why don't you stay the night? I think we may have some sleeping bags," Joy offered kindly.

"That's fine with me but Andy will have to sleep down here. I don't want any funny business," Brock said sternly.

"Dad!"

/\\

A/N: Filler chapter but Crazy Amazing wanted Tizzy's birthday and I didn't mind writing it so there you go lol. I know I know, I've been saying updates will be quicker but in all honesty, I've just had a lot going on and writing this was the last thing on my mind. Things are good now though so I mean it when I say updates will be quicker.

Guys, I'm two reviews away from the one hundred mark! My 100th reviewer will get a special mention and will get to help me decide on something for this story.

This sounds cliché but I love you all :D


	39. Shock

The girls hadn't got much sleep as Tizzy had kept them awake until three thirty in the morning. Up until then Tizzy had been talking non stop and would nudge her friends if they fell asleep. Tizzy was hyper from all the sweets she had eaten and Rina and Rikki were left to deal with her. Andy had been given a blanket and had slept on the sofa. The sofa was surprisingly comfortable and so he had slept soundly. Sparky had wandered down to sleep with him during the night because Tizzy was also keeping her awake.

Tizzy's parents woke up early and fixed them all some breakfast before they left. The boat that would take them back to Snowpoint City in Sinnoh left at noon so the group left Tizzy's house early. After the long walk back to Vermillion City they had just about made it in time to get on the boat. Tizzy's parents had kindly given them the money to get tickets so they wouldn't have any problems.

The boat was called the SS Anne and it was the largest boat in Kanto. It had three floors and the group had split up because they all wanted to do different things. Tizzy was allowed to release Tubby and so the both of them went off in search of a place to eat. Andy was interested in a talk show that was going on and so he and Happy went to watch that. Rikki had heard from some little kids that an arcade was on the second floor so she rushed off to find it. Rina and Sparky decided to explore the ship, not knowing what to do. On the top floor they came across a battle field so they sat and watched a few battles. A middle aged woman approached Rina and sat with her, striking up a conversation about Pokemon. Rina learned that the woman was from Hoenn and after the ship stopped at Sinnoh it was set to continue on to Hoenn.

"I would love to see what kinds of Pokemon are in Sinnoh. It's my dream to go there before my time is up," the woman said with a sad smile.

"What do you mean "before my time is up"?" Rina asked curiously.

"I'm terminally ill so I don't think I have much time left," the woman replied. Rina looked at her sympathetically.

"I have a few Pokemon that are from Sinnoh. I could show you them if you like," Rina offered.

"Would you? Oh that would be so kind!"

Rina and the woman left their seats to join some other trainers who had released their Pokemon and were showing them off. Rina released her Glaceon, Gallade and Staraptor and the woman made a fuss of them. The woman released her Pokemon as Rina was interested in seeing Hoenn Pokemon. The woman said they were called Shroomish, Electrike and Taillow. After a few minutes of checking out each others' Pokemon Rina said she had better go and find her friends. As she was putting her Pokeballs back on her belt, a little boy ran into Rina which made her drop Gallade's ball. The little kid muttered an apology and then ran off. As he ran he kicked Gallade's ball and it rolled away and towards a group of Pokemon.

"Let me get that for you." The woman rushed off in search for the missing ball. She came back minutes later holding the Pokeball and she gave it to Rina. Rina thanked her and then clipped Gallade's ball on her belt.

"I must go now," the woman turned and hurried off, the little boy who had bumped into Rina following after her.

"That was weird..."

/\

The rest of the boat ride went by quickly. Rina played on the arcade games for a while with Rikki but then they started to get hungry so they decided to find Andy and Tizzy to get something to eat. Although Tizzy had already eaten, she decided she wanted more food and so she ate again. Rina didn't see that strange woman again but she didn't care that much. Less than an hour after they had finished eating the boat pulled up in Snowpoint City and so they got off.

Tizzy was feeling tired so the group decided to rest in the Pokemon Centre for a while and work out what they would do for the rest of the day. Andy had booked them a room so it was decided that they would stay in Snowpoint for a few days. Rina said that she would be waiting until tomorrow before she challenged the gym leader as she wanted to train her Pokemon some more. Tizzy was admiring her new ball seals and ribbon case. She said she was eager to try it out and she had learned from Nurse Joy that a contest was being held six days from now just outside of Sunnyshore City. There was no way they would be there for then unless they found another way of getting there. Rikki suggested Gallade teleport them back to Pastoria and from there they could walk as it wouldn't take very long. Rina didn't like using Gallade for transport but she agreed to it.

"So what shall we do for the rest of the day?" Andy asked while he stroked Happy. Andy had been releasing his new Pokemon a lot since Brock pointed out that they weren't bonding very well.

"There is a temple by the gym that is said to be the home of a legendary Pokemon. That would be great for your research Rikki," Rina pointed out helpfully. Rikki scoffed.

"I don't do research for Rowan any more."

"But you said he gave you a Pokedex so that you could find rare Pokemon and record their data for him," Andy reminded her.

"I know what I said but if you haven't noticed already I've given up. You haven't seen me use my Pokedex once and besides, I sold it."

"You what?"

"If the old guy wants to find rare Pokemon he should do it himself. You'd be surprised at how much people would give for a Pokedex. I have enough money to last me a life time," Rikki grinned proudly.

"Guys, look who just walked through the door," Tizzy nodded her head towards the double doors and her friends followed her gaze.

"Karumo and Ebony," Rikki spat.

Hearing their names, the two turned towards the four friends and walked up to them. The first thing the teenagers noticed was that the two adults were wearing their own clothes instead of their usual Team Elemental uniform. Ebony sat down next to Tizzy and Karumo followed suit. Rikki rudely asked them what they wanted but they ignored her. Ebony told them that they had quit Team Elemental and had given the police an anonymous tip off about Terry and where he could be found. Terry and the rest of the group had been arrested but Karumo, Ebony, Selene and Saul weren't. When Rina asked why Karumo said that Terry hadn't snitched on them – which came as a surprise. It was all over the news but because the group were in Kanto they didn't hear about it. Selene and Saul had decided to move to Johto to start a new life there and Karumo and Ebony were going to join them in a few weeks.

"How do we know you are telling the truth and this isn't just some evil plot to lure us into a dungeon where you will torture us and leave us for dead?" Tizzy asked. Ebony looked at her.

"We aren't asking or telling you to believe us. All we want to do is give Andy his Pokemon back," Ebony said while she placed two Pokeballs on the table they were sitting around. Gasps left the teenagers mouths and Andy looked at the Pokeballs.

"There are two Pokeballs missing," he stated as he picked up the Pokeballs and stared at them.

"How do you know those Pokemon belong to Andy?" Rikki asked suspiciously.

"Terry kept a track record of all the people he stole from and he kept the Pokemon in cages along with the trainers' profile. Those two Pokeballs contain your Sandshrew and Psyduck."

"Where are Krabby and Rattata?" Ebony cringed at Andy's question.

"Those two had to be put down," Karumo answered him. "A lot of the Pokemon had to be put down. Terry experimented on most of them. They couldn't be saved, I'm sorry."

Andy nodded and then cautiously opened the two Pokeballs. Two shapes materialised from the balls and when the light faded a Psyduck and Sandshrew stood on the table looking confused. The two Pokemon inspected Andy for a while but then jumped onto his lap happily.

"They remember me..." Andy was truly shocked. It had been years since he had last seen them but they still recognised him. "Ebony, Karumo, thank you." The two adults were already gone though.

/\

After Andy was reunited with his two Pokemon he had gone up to the room to spend some time with them and to bond with them. He wanted to be alone so his three friends were left in the lobby of the Pokemon Centre with nothing to do. It was too early for them to go to bed but it seemed like the best idea as there was nothing else to do.

"I'm going to check out the temple, anyone wanna join me?" Rikki stood up and asked.

"I thought you weren't doing research for Rowan?"

"I'm not but there is nothing else to do. So are you coming or not?" Rikki repeated the question. Rina shook her head and said she was going to train with her Pokemon. Tizzy also said no and decided that she would hang out with Andy for a while. Rikki shrugged and then set off for the temple. Tizzy waved to Rina as she made her way upstairs and Rina and Sparky left the Pokemon Centre.

Rina walked passed the dock and carried on until she reached Route 217. Not wanting to wander into the territory of rouge Abomasnow like before, Rina decided to stay close to Snowpoint City. Rina found a small clearing and released her Flareon.

"I'm going to be relying on you to win us our next badge Flareon so I want you to train hard okay?"

"Flareee," Flareon nodded and waited for further instructions.

"Sparky, you also have an advantage with your Iron Tail attack so expect to be used in the battle. Have a friendly sparring match okay?"

Rina's two Pokemon nodded and then stood opposite each other.

"Okay Flareon you first," Rina called. "I want you to perfect your aim with Flamethrower." Flareon nodded and then the training begun. Rina's Pokemon had trained like this before so orders weren't needed. Rina would call out to them every five minutes and tell them to swap. Sparky would then practice her aim with Iron Tail while Flareon would try and dodge. The training had been going on for a while so Rina said they would be heading back soon.

Flareon fired another Flamethrower and Sparky dodged it but the Flamethrower managed to hit a passing Pokemon. The Pokemon grunted in pain and turned to face the attacker. A brown pile of fur rammed into Flareon, throwing him back. Hearing her Pokemon cry out, Rina looked up in time to see Sparky hit the Pokemon with a Thunderbolt but the attack didn't hurt it. This angered the Pokemon even more so it threw itself at Sparky. Instead of calling out an attack or releasing another Pokemon, Rina grabbed an empty Pokeball and lobbed it at the Pokemon. The ball fell to the ground and shook a few times before it dinged.

"I think I just caught my final Pokemon..."

/\

"Show us your new Pokemon then!" Tizzy urged Rina for the fourth time. Soon after she had caught the Pokemon she didn't recognise, Rina's friends had come to find her and they were still stood in the same place that Rina was training.

"For the last time, I don't want to because it was angry. It might go on a rampage!"

"I'll release it then," Rikki grabbed the ball from Rina's hand and threw it in the air. When the Pokemon saw Rina and her two Pokemon it just stared at them.

"Well at least it has calmed down," Andy said.

"Any idea what it is?" Rina asked. Her friends said they had never seen it before so Rina took out her Pokedex.

"_**Piloswine, the Swine Pokemon. Piloswine**__**is covered by a shaggy coat that protects it against the cold. Its tusks of ice thicken when it snows. This Piloswine is male and is currently level 37. The moves known are: Ancient Power, Endure, Take Down and Icy Wind."**_

"So it's an ice type and maybe a ground type because Sparky's Thunderbolt didn't affect it," Rina concluded once she put her Pokedex away.

"I've heard about Piloswine, I just didn't know it was one since I didn't know what they look like. They are really powerful Rina. Apparently they evolve into Mamoswine when they use Ancient Power during a battle," Andy informed her. Rina stroked Piloswine's fur and he grunted happily.

"He looks so furry!" Tizzy threw herself at Piloswine and rubbed her cheek against his fur. Piloswine grunted happily again and showed that he was friendly and affectionate by allowing Tizzy to smother him. Flareon approached his new team mate and they engaged in a conversation. It seemed as if they were already friends and the sudden attack had been forgotten about.

"I can't wait to train with him. He is around the same level as my other Pokemon too. Go and say hi Sparky," Rina looked down at her feet and saw that Sparky wasn't there anymore.

"Rina look!"

Rina looked to her right and saw Sparky rummaging through her bag. Sparky pulled out the Thunderstone and started to glow upon contact with it. Sparky's body grew bigger and fatter and her paws got larger. Her tail became longer and her ears were now a different shape. When the light faded a Raichu stood there smiling happily and admiring herself.

"I guess she decided she had waited long enough to evolve," Rina giggled. She tried to pick up the Raichu but she was too heavy so she placed her back on the floor. "You will have to walk from now on. You can't possibly sit on my shoulder."

Everyone shared a laugh while Raichu huffed and crossed her paws across her belly.

"I'm hungry again. Can we go back to the Pokemon Centre and eat?" Tizzy begged.

"That's a good idea, I'm getting hungry too."

"Me three," Rikki agreed.

"Okay but let me introduce Piloswine to Gallade, Glaceon and Staraptor first," Rina smiled as she unclipped her three remaining balls from her belt. She released her Pokemon one by one. Rina introduced Piloswine to Glaceon first and as they were both ice types they hit it off immediately. Staraptor and Piloswine weren't that keen on each other but they exchanged a few words for the sake of it. Rina then threw her last Pokeball.

"And finally, Piloswine meet Gallade."

Time seemed to stop as Rina's final Pokemon appeared in front of them.

"WHAT THE FUDGE?" Rina screamed.

/\

**A/N: I'm so proud of myself! Two updates in three days! I was so excited to write this chapter (for obvious reasons) so I sat down and wrote it. Crazy Amazing cheated so that she would be the 100****th**** reviewer but who cares? She helps me a lot anyway. So let's recap! Team Elemental have come to an end, Andy got two of his Pokemon back, Rina caught a Piloswine, and what's going on with Gallade? Crazy Amazing guessed straight away but I hope you lot don't! That will be revealed next chapter, which will be coming out soon. May take a bit longer because it's the gym battle and you all know I hate writing those...**

**Oh and so you know, old characters such as Daniel and Sky will be appearing again. I haven't forgotten about them. This will probably be the last we see of Karumo and Ebony. Karumo belongs to Autumnchronicles and Ebony belongs to Crazy Amazing.**

**Don't forget to review! **


	40. Promises

"So then what happened?"

"The woman offered to get my Pokeball for me. I've told you this twice already! Just go and find her and my Gallade!" Rina fumed.

Rina was once again sitting in the police station being interviewed. She had told her story to two different police officers and she was slowly losing her patience. One of the police officers had gone to contact the police force in Hoenn to tell them about the woman who had apparently stolen Rina's Gallade.

"And you're sure this Shroomish belongs to the woman?" asked the officer, looking at the small frightened Pokemon.

"YES! She showed me her Pokemon and this was one of them! She must have swapped Gallade's ball for her Shroomish's one!" Rina and her friends had all come to the same conclusion: the woman and the little boy worked together and the woman swapped her weak Pokemon for other trainers' strong ones.

"I'm sorry but this has nothing to do with us. Firstly, the incident took place somewhere in Kanto and secondly, the woman is now in Hoenn. We have contacted the Hoenn police and they have no record of a woman with those Pokemon that fits your description. All we can say is that she isn't an official trainer. There is nothing we can do; us or the Hoenn police."

"So why can't they just track her down in Hoenn and arrest her?" Andy asked.

"There is no proof that this Shroomish is hers."

Rina gawked at him. Was this guy serious? Her precious Gallade had been Pokenapped and she was just supposed to accept that and start training the Shroomish instead? Gallade was _her _partner, not that stupid woman who faked an illness. But it seemed Rina had no choice. If the police had no proof they couldn't intervene. It all sounded really silly. The police were _supposed _to deal with these situations, not forget about them and tell the victim to basically get on with it. Rina recalled the Shroomish to its ball and left the police station with her friends.

/\

Rina and Sparky were sitting in the room they had booked in the Pokemon Centre, staring at the foreign Pokeball in front of them. Rikki, Andy and Tizzy had gone downstairs to call Professor Rowan to see if there was anything he could do. Rina doubted he could do anything. If the police couldn't then why would he be able to?

"What do I do Sparky? I can't just forget about Gallade and make do with the Shroomish I know nothing about. And to make matters worse I have a freshly caught Piloswine that I need to train with," Rina sighed and looked down at the ball.

"Rai Rai." Sparky used the end of her tail to press the button on the Pokeball and release the Shroomish. When the Pokemon saw Rina and Sparky it backed away, clearly frightened and unaware of what was happening. Rina slowly reached out her hand to the Shroomish and allowed the Pokemon to sniff her.

"It's alright Shroomish, I won't hurt you," Rina said softly as she stroked Shroomish. "My name us Rina and this is Sparky. I suppose I'm your new trainer."

"Mish?"

"Was that woman your trainer?" Rina asked. Shroomish shook its body as a no. "Well I don't know what the connection between you two was but she stole my Gallade and gave you to me. I miss Gallade loads and it will be hard to get over it but I have to move on, don't I?" At this point Rina didn't know whether she was talking to herself of her new Pokemon.

"So are you going to work alongside me and be my Pokemon?" Shroomish nodded at Rina's question. Rina didn't know this but Shroomish had been captured illegally by the woman and confined to its ball until it was eventually swapped for Gallade. Rina took out her Pokedex and pointed it at Shroomish.

"_**Shroomish, the Mushroom Pokemon. Shroomish spouts poison spores from the top of its head. These spores cause pain all over if inhaled. This Shroomish is female and it currently level moves known are: Mega Drain, Leech Seed, Poison Powder and Headbutt."**_

"Do you evolve?" Rina asked. Shroomish nodded and smiled. "I wonder what level you evolve... Isn't level thirty one pretty late for evolution?" Rina remembered Tizzy's book had information on all of the Pokemon known so Rina took it from her bag that Tizzy had left on her bed. After a long time of skimming through the book Rina finally found Shroomish.

"You were supposed to evolve into a Breloom at level twenty nine. I wonder why you didn't evolve. Breloom look pretty cool and you will be a Grass and Fighting type."

Rina grinned as she put the book away. There was always a bright side to every situation, and this was it. Rina promised herself that as soon as the Sinnoh League was over and she had enough money, she would be heading straight to Hoenn to personally hunt down the woman and rescue her Gallade. For now though, Rina could only hope that Gallade was okay and wasn't being mistreated.

Rina then realised the others didn't know about Gallade and Shroomish. Sighing, Rina unclipped her Pokeballs and released her Pokemon. The group of Pokemon squished together in the cramped room.

"So you all know Piloswine is our new team mate, but I have something to tell you all. Gallade was stolen from me and I was given this Shroomish by the thief," Rina retold the story sadly and her heart broke when she saw the expressions on her Pokemon's faces. "Don't worry, Gallade is fine."

Before Rina could even stop herself the little white lie had come out. Gallade could be okay, but Rina didn't know that so it was a lie wasn't it? At least it was enough to calm down her Pokemon.

"When the Sinnoh League is over the seven of us are going to Hoenn and we are going to find Gallade okay?" Rina pumped her fist in the air and her Pokemon mimicked her enthusiasm. "But now we need to focus on our gym battle. Sparky and Flareon will be the main battlers but I'll need to depend on another one of you so get ready to face some ice type Pokemon! Shroomish, you'll be sitting on the side lines. I want you to pick up on some techniques we use. Now let's get us another badge!"

/\

"Rina, we'll make this a three on three battle okay? No time limit and no items. You can switch Pokemon but I can't. Is that okay with you?" Candice asked. Rina nodded.

Candice was the gym leader and she was a happy go lucky person – just like Tizzy. She was probably in her early twenties and she wasn't like every other gym leader: she didn't seem very serious but if she is the seventh gym leader she had to be tough.

"Sneasel let's go!" Candice tossed her Pokeball and released her first Pokemon. Sneasel slashed the air in front of him and readied himself for battle.

"Raii." Rina looked down at Sparky and saw her tense.

"Relax," Rina said softly. "Shroomish, watch carefully." Shroomish watched from where she was standing as Rina threw her own Pokeball and released her Piloswine.

"We haven't battled together so I don't know what you are capable of, but try your best." Piloswine grunted at Rina's words. __

"Sneasel use your Faint Attack," Candice ordered.

"Piloswine you can't dodge this so take it and then use Take Down!"

Sneasel rushed towards Piloswine with blinding speed. Piloswine braced himself as Sneasel threw a sucker punch at him. Piloswine took the attack with ease and then rammed himself into Sneasel before he could get away. Sneasel skidded back to his side of the field but then sped towards Piloswine and hit him with a Quick Attack. Piloswine barely moved an inch and Rina grinned happily.

"Good job Piloswine," Rina praised him proudly. "Hit back with Ancient Power!" Piloswine huffed and summoned several rocks that flew at Sneasel.

"Dodge them!" Candice cried desperately. Sneasel used his speed to his advantage and dodged a few rocks. One slightly bigger rock smashed into Sneasel which caused him serious pain. Sneasel knelt down and clutched his left arm which had taken the brunt of the attack.

"Attack with Beat Up!"

"Endure!"

Piloswine braced himself as Sneasel repeatedly punched him. The punches Sneasel threw with his left arm were light as he found it hard to use that arm. Piloswine's Endure meant that he wouldn't feel a thing. Once Sneasel's attack had died down, Rina ordered Piloswine to use Take Down again. Piloswine threw himself at Sneasel and squashed him under his weight. When Piloswine got off Sneasel, Candice grimaced when she saw Sneasel out cold.

"Sneasel is unable to battle so Piloswine is the winner of round one!" The judge announced as he held up a flag on Rina's side. Candice returned her Sneasel and took another Pokeball in hand.

"Piloswine, you were great! Take a rest now," Rina praised her Pokemon on his first win and then clipped his ball back to her belt after she recalled him. Rina waited for Candice to release her next Pokemon before she chose her own. Candice's next Pokemon was a Piloswine so Rina chose Flareon.

'_I better watch out: that Piloswine will probably know sound ground or rock type moves.'_ Rina thought. 

"Piloswine use your Earthquake!"

Piloswine jumped high into air, her fur blowing up as she did so. Rina instructed Flareon to jump as Piloswine plummeted to the ground to strike. The shockwaves Piloswine made shook the room and Sparky, who was standing next to Rina, felt the attack.

"(That was a cheap shot! Hitting me is against the rules! JUDGE! I want to complain)" Sparky yelled. There was no mistaking Sparky's personality change since she had evolved into a Raichu.

"Flareon fire a Flamethrower," Rina called out as Sparky's rant was ignored.

Flareon opened his mouth and spewed out a red-orange line of fire at Piloswine. Piloswine used the ice on the field to dodge the attack. Piloswine glided on the ice but couldn't avoid the huge rock made of ice blocking her path. Piloswine panicked as she tried to stop herself. As she got closer to the rock of ice Candice told her to use her tusks for protection. Piloswine allowed herself to slide into the rock and as Candice expected, Piloswine's tusks shattered the ice. Rina cursed under her breath. That could have done some damage if Candice hadn't decided to be smart.

"Flareon use Quick Attack and get closer!"

As Flareon ran on the ice he lost his footing and fell flat on his stomach. He started spinning around as he slid all over the field helplessly.

"Ohh I love this show! Flareon On Ice!" Tizzy announced happily.

"Flareon get up!" Rina yelled. Why did she even think Flareon could run on ice? If he had ice skates then of course he could... But he didn't!

"Piloswine take advantage of this situation and use Earthquake," Candice called out smugly. It was the perfect opportunity. Piloswine jumped and struck the ground when she landed. The ground shook and Flareon yelped as he felt the attack. Candice, having gotten used to this, stood calmly while Rina tried to maintain her balance. Sparky also felt the attack and took a little bit of damage once more.

"(Must you do that?)"

"Flareon and I can also take advantage of this situation!" Rina grinned. "Flamethrower!"

As Flareon carried on spinning he opened his mouth and let loose hot flames. The constant spinning motion meant that the fire spread on the field and melted the ice blocks as well as hitting Piloswine. Flareon ended his attack and came to a stop. He shakily got to his paws and tried to walk but he fell back down.

"Take down," Candice ordered. Piloswine skidded across the field and prepared herself to tackle Flareon.

Rina panicked and grabbed his ball. She returned Flareon before Piloswine could reach him. Piloswine kept going and slid right off the battle field and crashed into a wall. The impact was enough to knock him out and end round two. Rina felt slightly guilty.

Slightly being the key word.

"Is that allowed?" Candice turned to the judge and took out her frustration on him.

"It's not Rina's fault your Piloswine can't take a bump to the head," the judge replied calmly. Shouldn't the judge be more respectful towards someone like Candice? He obviously didn't think so. Candice returned her Piloswine and turned to Rina.

"You have won two of the battles so that means you win," Candice said glumly.

"Well that was boring," Rina complained.

"(And I didn't get to beat the crap out of that furry thing,)" Sparky added. Anyone would think she was being given lessons from Rikki on how to be tough and mean. Rikki would be so proud.

Candice presented Rina with the Icicle Badge and Rina took pride in showing it off to Shroomish. Shroomish was impressed by the whole thing. She didn't know gym battles were supposed to be longer and more exciting so she thought it was brilliant. Rina returned Shroomish to her ball and then the group left the gym with Sparky leading the way.

The group once again found themselves sitting in the Pokemon Centre not knowing what to do next. Rina had given Piloswine and Flareon to Nurse Joy so they could be checked over. Tizzy was once again staring at her contest items in amazement.

Rina said that they should probably leave tonight instead of staying in Snowpoint until tomorrow; Tizzy wanted to get to Sunnyshore for the contest. Andy looked at Tizzy's hopeful face and felt bad for her. Andy decided to break the news to Tizzy.

"We won't get to Sunnyshore in time for the contest,"

"Why not?" Tizzy cried. Her face said it all. She was beyond disappointed.

Andy stroked Happy and looked to Rikki for help. He didn't want to upset Tizzy any further. Rikki sighed; she always got the tough jobs.

"We don't have Gallade anymore so he can't teleport us there," Rikki explained. "There is no way we could walk to Sunnyshore in less than a week."

Tizzy and her friends were forced to leave the Pokemon Centre for a while because people complained about her loud wailing. Tizzy cried and cried (loudly) for a good ten minutes until Nurse Joy came out and calmed her down by telling her she could go to Pastoria City and partake in a contest there that will be in just under two weeks. Rina asked if they would make it in time and Nurse Joy said they would and they wouldn't have to leave until tomorrow afternoon at the latest.

Tizzy released Tubby instantly and they shared their excitement. Tizzy said she was going to start practising right away and they walked towards the dock where the snow wasn't as thick on the ground. Rikki and Andy walked with her while Rina said her and Sparky would catch up; Rina wanted to get her Pokemon back first.

/\

Tizzy's training didn't go as planned. Tizzy and Tubby were trying to find the perfect routine which proved harder than they thought. Andy decided to release all of his Pokemon and chaos ensued. Happy went into a frenzy when Tubby _accidently _hit him with a Lick attack. Happy squawked and flapped while swooping down on the rather large group. Psyduck started to panic when Happy crashed into him and ran around in circles crying his name. Psyduck managed to crash into Sandshrew who was minding his own business. Sandshrew became angry and went after Psyduck while Ivysaur sat back and watched. Psyduck tried to hit Sandshrew with a Water Gun attack but his aim was horrible and he wet Rikki instead.

Andy eventually returned all of his Pokemon after Rikki threatened him by saying she would shove his face in the snow if he didn't control his Pokemon. Once that was over Tizzy and Tubby went back to trying to make up the perfect routine. Tubby's moves didn't work well together in the least and Tizzy was becoming desperate. It was decided Tubby would be using Hyper Beam at some point in the routine because it was his best move, but there was still a huge problem: what move would work well with it?

None of Tizzy's friends had any contest experience and didn't know much about them so they couldn't offer Tizzy any good advice on what to do. Tizzy was determined to enter that contest and win so giving up wasn't an option. While Rina and Andy tried their best to help Tizzy, a wet Rikki got fed up with the whole thing and she wasn't in the best of moods so she headed back to the Pokemon Centre for a shower.

After much consideration Tizzy knew what she had to do so they headed back to the Pokemon Centre not long after Rikki.

Tizzy was going to rely on pure luck and milk the whole thing.

/\

**A/N: Woo another chapter for you guys! This was going to be ready days ago but I decided to slow down a bit. So not much happened here apart from Rina gets a Shroomish and a gym badge. I'm sorry but I really felt lazy during that gym battle so it's not my best work. **

**I don't actually know what's going to happen next chapter so bare with me guys.**

**This sounds cliché but I love you all for taking the time to review and get me up to 100 reviews!**


	41. Contest

After a very long walk, several days after leaving Snowpoint, the group had finally made it to Pastoria. They were shattered and so they all caught up on their sleep the day before the contest. Tizzy hadn't slept as much as the others because she was so excited and nervous about her contest debut. Nervous because she didn't have a routine and excited because she and Tubby would get to be in the spotlight and show off.

Tizzy was lucky she managed to get to Pastoria a day early. They had taken the wrong route in Mt Coronet and wandered through it for an entire day before Andy managed to find the right way. Tizzy felt so special throughout the long trek: this was proof her friends would do anything for her. They believed in her so much that they put off their original plans just to get Tizzy to that contest.

Tubby was just as happy. He had never been given the chance to properly show off what he could do and boy was he eager to show off his Hyper Beam. He wanted to win that contest and make Tizzy proud. And he wanted to be treated with loads of sweets. But mainly to make Tizzy happy.

Rikki had very little faith in her friend. She failed at everything in Rikki's eyes so why would she think she would succeed at this? Rikki kept quiet though. She had grown fonder of Tizzy and considered her to be a best friend. She had yet to tell her that though; she didn't want her friends to think she had gone all soft.

It was less than an hour before the contest and Tizzy was sat in the locker room with her friends. She had received a contest pass when she signed up the day before so she was now eligible to enter contests. Tizzy noticed the other coordinators had changed into fancy clothes and felt out of place. No one said anything about dressing up. Tizzy couldn't stop fidgeting and looking at the clock.

"You will be fine Tizzy," Rina said to try and comfort her. Tizzy ignored her completely and started biting her already short nails.

"Is this your first contest? Well good luck, you'll certainly need it."

Tizzy and her friends looked up from their seats and saw a boy around their age smiling at them. He looked like some sort of male model! He was average height and had the clearest skin ever - if that was even possible. He had dark brown hair which was clearly gelled and hazel eyes. The guy was wearing a sky blue vest that complimented his muscles nicely and tight fitting jeans. His white trainers were practically sparkling. Beside him stood a tough looking Machamp.

"Yes this is my first contest. I'm Tizzy and this is my Snor-"

"I'm Roger, and you are?" Roger completely ignored Tizzy and focused his attention on a nervous looking Andy.

"A-Andy," he squeaked. Roger smiled at him and Andy blushed. Tizzy watched them and couldn't help but feel jealous. She knew the chances of her having a relationship with Andy was next to nothing, but she didn't like the idea of him having a crush on anyone besides her. Rina and Rikki introduced themselves but Roger paid them no mind.

"And how old are you Andy?"

"I'm fifteen," Andy replied.

Roger put his arm around Andy's shoulders casually and smirked as Andy's face reddened. Tizzy stared at Roger and when she caught his eye she gave him the most horrible look she could manage. Tizzy didn't like this guy coming along and being so friendly towards her best friend – Andy was hers whether he liked it or not!

"Tubby, Lick him," Tizzy whispered to Tubby. Tubby nodded and moved towards Roger who didn't seem to notice. Tubby's rough wet tongue slapped against Roger's moisturised cheek and Tubby licked him happily. Roger looked disgusted by Tubby's actions and wiped his cheek.

"How disgusting! Keep your Snorlax under control you freak! Come on Machamp, let's go and sit down and wait for the contest to start."

Machamp obediently followed Roger out of the door, muttering words of hate under his breath. Tizzy grinned at Tubby and gave him a treat for scaring Roger off.

"I don't like him," Rikki said bluntly. Rina and Tizzy nodded while Andy stayed quiet.

"So Tizzy, do you have any idea on what your performance will be like?" Rina asked. Tizzy shook her head.

"Tubby and I will just go with the flow."

"I hope you know this is a double performance, meaning you use two Pokemon at once," a girl butted in and said to Tizzy. Tizzy said she had no idea she needed two Pokemon and the girl said she wouldn't be able to take part with just one Pokemon.

"RINA! Lend me your Glaceon now! Which one is her ball?" Tizzy demanded as she eyed up Rina's Pokeballs. Rina pointed to the correct ball and before she could say anything, Tizzy had snatched up Glaceon's ball and run off.

"You're welcome...?"

/\/\

"This is the most boring thing ever," Rikki moaned for what seemed to be the hundredth time in the last twenty minutes. The three trainers were sitting in the third row on the stands, waiting for it to be Tizzy's turn.

"These people aren't trainers! They just want to be pretty and show off and act like sissies," Rikki continued and she slumped forward.

"That's right, they _aren't _trainers, they are co-ordinators, stupid," Roger commented from his seat behind Rikki.

Rikki had made sure to sit directly in front of him so at the appropriate moments she could stand up and block his view or wave her arms above her head. Her only entertainment was to annoy the boy she despised so much. Roger was here to see his younger sister perform and she was the first person on the stage. Her performance left the judges speechless and she received the loudest applause ever. Roger made sure people knew she was his younger sister and boasted about it. The contest was nearing the end of the first round and Tizzy was one of the last to come on. When Tizzy skipped on the stage Rina and Andy jumped up and started cheering for her.

"HI GUYS!" Tizzy waved to her friends and then took two Pokeballs out of her pocket. "Tubby, let's be pretty and show off!" Tizzy threw the first ball and when it opened cupcakes exploded from the ball and then Tubby landed on the stage. "And now Glaceon, help us win!" Tizzy threw the Pokeball and stars emerged from it, followed by Glaceon who landed gracefully in front of Tubby.

"First up is Glaceon! Use your icy move thing to freeze the floor!" Tizzy became giddy with excitement as Glaceon used a Blizzard attack to freeze half of the stage.

"And now Tubby and I will ice skate! Let's go Tubs!" Tizzy and Tubby ran onto the ice and started to slide around. For the first few seconds it looked really impressive so Rikki jumped up and cheered on her friend, wanting others to know she was associated with Tizzy.

A few seconds later and Tubby was starting to lose his balance and it wasn't long before he fell flat on his stomach and started sliding towards the judges panel. The judges screamed and frantically ran from their position on the stage. Tubby crashed into the judge's panel and completely destroyed it. Tizzy watched in horror and skidded towards her friend to help him up but lost her footing. Tizzy grabbed the curtains that framed the stage and pulled them down with her. Tubby got back up from his spot on the floor and jumped back on the stage to help Tizzy, but when he landed he made a huge hole on the stage.

"Pshh, I don't know her. Never seen her in my life," Rikki said loudly as she slumped down in her seat.

Roger roared with laughter as Tizzy, Tubby and Glaceon were lead away from the ruined stage by four security guards.

/\/\

Tizzy received looks of hatred by the other co-ordinators as she sat in the Pokemon Centre with her friends. Tizzy was close to tears as yet another person gave her a dirty look and told her how bad of a co-ordinator she was. As a result of the stage being ruined the contest had been cancelled and Tizzy felt awful. On top of that, someone in the front row had managed to capture the whole thing on tape and the person wasted no time in uploading it to PokeTube. The video already had hundreds of views.

Roger's sister had even tried to attack Tizzy, claiming that if Tizzy hadn't spoiled the whole thing she would have easily earned that ribbon. Rikki saw to it that Roger's stuck up sister went home with a black eye. After all, his sister was around the age of fourteen so she had no problem punching her. If all of that wasn't bad enough, Tizzy was banned from contests for six months.

Tizzy was sitting in the middle of her friends, crying her eyes out. Yet another dream of hers had been crushed and she was devastated. Andy patted her shoulder in a comforting way while Rina tried to calm her down. Rikki on the other hand was sitting at the table next to them, offering words of comfort when no one was looking.

Andy remembered Tizzy's love for sugar and sweet things and suggested they go to StaryuBucks; a coffee shop. Tizzy stopped crying and looked up at him with a huge grin on her face. Rina offered to pay for everything and Rikki immediately agreed to tag along. They exited the Pokémon Centre and Andy led the way to their destination.

StaryuBucks was a fairly small coffee shop placed in a secluded part of the town - which is why they hadn't seen it the last time they were here. There were very few people in the coffee shop but Tizzy still wasn't able to let Tubby out. They took a seat at the back of the shop after ordering and the conversation soon turned to Tizzy's contest dreams. When asked what she was going to do by Rina, Tizzy simply looked at her lap and shrugged.

"I'm not giving up," Tizzy finally said. Andy nodded and told her that by the time she was eligible to enter contests; Tizzy would have had loads of practice. Tizzy smiled gratefully at her best friend.

"I just hope my parents haven't heard about my failure," Tizzy said sadly.

Tizzy had set off on her journey to make something of her life and to make her parents proud. Tizzy had failed at other things before and although her parents were very supportive, Tizzy always felt like she was letting them down. Her Mum and Dad had excellent jobs and they were important people. And then there was Tubby. Tizzy wanted to be the best trainer she could be for him. She wanted Tubby to shine in whatever they done but he hadn't done so yet.

"Even if they have heard about it, they won't care that much," Rikki spoke up.

The conversation ended there as the waitress brought over their coffees. The group hadn't treated themselves in a while and had been making do with basic food and water while on the road. After a few minutes of silence a new conversation started. Rikki wanted to know how Andy was getting along with his Pokémon (mainly Happy) and he gladly went into a deep explanation that lasted longer than Rikki had wanted it to. Tizzy and Rina politely listened to him ramble on while Rikki turned towards the small TV placed on the counter.

"Look at the TV guys."

Rikki's friends followed her orders and turned their heads towards the TV. It was set to the news channel and the headline at the top said 'Team Elemental Leader Spotted by News Reporter'.

"-was seen heading into Mt Coronet during the early hours of this morning. A news reporter caught footage on his camera of Terry and his Blastoise suspiciously looking around before entering the cave. While it is true that most of the members in Team Elemental were arrested by the police, it is not true that Terry was arrested. Police have been trying to track him down for the past few days with no luck. With the knowledge of Terry's whereabouts, the police hope to catch him very soon."

The group were silent throughout the whole report. The news then went to the weather and the friends faced each other once more.

"Did Karumo and Ebony lie to us?" Andy asked.

"I knew we shouldn't have trusted them!" Rikki raged.

"We're going after him," Rina stated simply. Rikki glared at Rina. Had she forgotten about what had happened last time they were in that cave with Terry and his Blastoise?

"I know what you are thinking Rikki but we have no choice."

"Oh I think we do have a choice and there is no way we're going there. The police are going after him already so let them do their job okay?" Rikki argued.

"As stupid as this may sound, I think Rina has a point," Andy piped up. "Terry is always up to no good and may still have those three legendary Pokémon with him. We have to do something."

"If Andy and Rina are going, then so are Tubby and I!" Tizzy announced. Rikki stood up from her seat and glared at her friends.

"Fine, you can all walk right into that death trap but I'm not going. I'll hang around here for a few days and if you aren't back by then I'm leaving."

Rikki stormed out of the coffee shop but no one stopped her.

"She'll come along eventually," Rina stated. "She isn't the type of person that lets her friends do crazy things without her. Now, shall we get going?"

/\/\

Note: Been busy with school work. Stuff has been happening that has taken over my life. Nothing more to say except maybe you'll enjoy.


	42. Showdown

Sitting on her bed in the Pokemon Centre, Rikki was mentally going through the reasons why she shouldn't go to Mt Coronet and why she should. So far she had more reasons to not go. The only two reasons she could come up with to go were: she couldn't leave her friends and she didn't want to miss out on any action. Rikki chewed on her nail as she contemplated what she should do. Could she really live with herself if anything happened to her friends and she hadn't done anything to try and help? But on the other hand, the police would be there soon (hopefully) so they'd probably protect them or something along those lines.

Not knowing what to do, Rikki left the comfort of her bed and walked down to the lobby to contact Professor Rowan. He would know what to do, wouldn't he? Rikki was sure he would suggest she wait until the police got there but she could be wrong.

Rikki dialled his number and after a few minutes of talking about Rikki's research – she didn't let on that she had sold her Pokedex and given up – Rikki got to the point.

"Well put it this way: Terry is ruthless and doesn't care about other people. He's attacked you before so why shouldn't he attack you again? Rina has some strong Pokemon on her team but last time they were no match for his Blastoise. Tizzy's Snorlax isn't weak so he could help but Andy's Pokemon are all young or under levelled. You have some pretty strong Pokemon and if you were there you would be a big help."

How could Rikki argue with that? Rowan was speaking sense and Rikki knew it. Tubby was a pretty strong Pokemon and Andy only really had his Ivysaur. Rikki had a few Pokemon that were well trained and matched Rina's Pokemon's strength. Rikki knew what she had to do. She had to go to Mt Coronet with her strongest Pokemon by her side and find her friends before anything happened to them.

/\

Rina, Sparky, Tizzy, Andy and Ivysaur had managed to find Terry and his Blastoise by the entrance of Mt Coronet and had been sneakily following him. Tubby had been out of his ball up until that point – he would definitely cause an earthquake when he walked and would no doubt alert Terry to their presence. He had led them through the whole cave and up to Spear Pillar. Tizzy then released Tubby for back up. The group had hung back and watched from a distance as Terry and his Blastoise messed around with some equipment. After a few minutes Terry stepped back and watched in excitement as two voids opened up: a pink one and a blue one. Two Pokemon emerged from either void and stood before Terry. The voids then closed up. Two Pokemon had emerged from either void. Dialga and Palkia were two well known legendary Pokemon in Sinnoh.

Terry smirked as he opened a briefcase and took out the Red Chain. The group heard him say something about being able to control the two legendary Pokemon with the object. It seemed to be true: Dialga and Palkia hadn't attacked Terry and weren't even growling at him. They were staring at him, as if waiting for instructions.

"Dialga, Palkia. With you two magnificent Pokemon at my side we shall rule this world and own everything in it! People will bow down to me and Pokemon will listen to my every command! The three Pokemon of the lake have been rightfully released as I said."

Terry turned to face the group and shook his head at them. "Once again, I'm not deaf."

"Dialga, Palkia, take care of them for me will you? They are troublesome so don't go easy on them," Terry ordered as his Blastoise followed him back to the entrance of the cave. Tubby moved to stop them from leaving but was suddenly hit by a Dragon Breath attack, courtesy of Dialga.

Rina and her friends then knew it was time for battle.

"Ivysaur attack them both with a Razor Leaf!"

"Tubby hit them with a Hyper Beam!"

"Sparky use Thunderbolt!"

The Razor Leaf attack was easily dodged by Palkia but it hit Dialga – not that it had much effect. Tubby's Hyper Beam was heading towards Palkia but Dialga quickly countered with another Dragon Breath attack. Sparky's Thunderbolt was also easily dodged by both legendary Pokemon.

"This is going to be one tough battle," Andy said.

"I know and we can't even leave because who knows what they'll do once we go," Rina replied.

"I wish Rikki was here with us," Tizzy said sadly.

"We could definitely do with the extra help."

As they were talking Sparky and Ivysaur had been attacked by a Dragon Claw from each opponent and had taken quite a bit of damage. Rina turned her attention back to the fight and instructed Sparky to try an Iron Tail. Dialga countered Sparky's Iron Tail with its own tail, throwing the Raichu back. Palkia moved towards Ivysaur and hit her with a Dragon Claw while she was preoccupied with helping Tubby and Raichu. Ivysaur landed at Andy's feet, unconscious. Andy recalled her and gritted his teeth.

"I can't send my unevolved baby Pokemon out! They'll get squished!"

"Use Happy to distract them!" Rina told him. Andy complied, releasing the Swablu and telling him to fly around and get the legendary Pokemon's attention. Happy took to the skies and circled around Dialga and Palkia. Palkia swiped the small Pokemon with its claws and Happy dropped to the ground like a dead fly.

"Well that didn't work," Andy sighed as he recalled his fallen Pokemon.

"Tubby come on! Use Belly Flop!" It wasn't an actual move, but it worked just fine. Tubby slammed himself into Palkia, squashing it into the ground. Dialga heard Palkia's cry while it was charging towards Sparky so it changed direction and prepared to slash Tubby with its claws.

"No you don't! Sparky, hit Dialga with a Thunderbolt!" Sparky charged up electricity in her body and released a bolt of electricity which hit Dialga and stopped it in its tracks.

"Tizzy, you take on Palkia and I'll deal with Dialga," Rina said to her friend before turning to Andy. "Go and get help!" Andy nodded and ran back into Mt Coronet. Rina then grabbed two Poke balls.

"Staraptor, Piloswine, help me out!" When her Pokemon emerged, Rina told Staraptor to assist Tizzy and Tubby and Piloswine to help Sparky. Staraptor flew over to Tubby, who was trying to block Palkia's attacks, and hit Palkia with a Close Combat. Rina looked back to Sparky and saw her get hit with an Earth Power. Sparky was knocked unconscious so Rina ran to her side and moved her to safety where she could rest.

"Piloswine use Icy Wind!" Piloswine snorted and let out a cold blast of ice that hit Dialga. Dialga roared and staggered back but then hit Piloswine with Earth Power. Piloswine grunted and fell on his side. Rina cursed as she recalled her Pokemon.

"Rina help!" Tizzy squealed. Rina looked over to her friend and saw Staraptor laying unconscious on the floor and Tubby was on the verge of collapsing. Palkia looked as if it had taken quite a bit of damage but it was nowhere near fainting. Rina grabbed Staraptor's ball and recalled her and then chucked Tizzy one of her Poke balls. Tizzy released Rina's Pokemon and groaned when Shroomish appeared.

"I'm sorry; I didn't know it was her ball! Glaceon, Flareon, come out!" Rina grabbed her last two Pokemon and released them into the fight.

"Glaceon attack with Blizzard! Flareon hit it with a Flamethrower!"

"Tubby try your Hyper Beam again! Shroomish... just do anything!"

/\

Rikki sat on the floor of Mt Coronet with a grin plastered on her face. To say she was happy would be an understatement. She was ecstatic. Rikki had been walking through the cave to find her friends when Terry and his Blastoise had literally ran into her.

Rikki, of course, had stopped him from getting away and engaged in a battle with his Blastoise and her Ambipom. Rikki had managed to win after just one attack; it seemed Blastoise wasn't equipped with that black device and so he was incredibly weak. With no back up and five Pokemon surrounding him, Terry could nothing but stand there and hope this fiery teenager would let him go. He doubted that very much. Terry could have easily shoved Rikki out of the way, but why would he when he had a mob of Pokemon giving him evil looks? Sure, he had tried to distract them and then run but Rikki's Froslass had used her Psychic attack to keep him in place.

It wasn't long before a police squad stampeded in and had literally rugby tackled Terry to the ground when he had tried to escape. He was handcuffed and taken away, but not before Rikki had kicked him somewhere and asked where her friends were. With the information now processed into her mind, Rikki and her Pokemon trekked on.

Rikki was almost at the top of Mt Coronet when a boy had run full speed at her and knocked her down. Rikki groaned as she was thrown to the floor. When she saw the boy who had attacked her Rikki grinned.

"Andrew!"

Andy looked shocked as Rikki uncharacteristically threw her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a hug. As she pulled away, Rikki looked around for any sign of Tizzy and Rina.

"Where are the other two?"

"In trouble," Andy said grimly. "Terry took control over Dialga and Palkia and set them on Rina and Tizzy."

"Looks like I need to make a heroic entrance and help them." Rikki dragged Andy in the direction he had come in, her Pokemon right behind them. "Oh, and don't you dare tell anyone about our hug or I'll feed you to Tubby."

"Y-you like t-to threaten p-people don't y-you?" Andy asked timidly, his shy nervous side coming out.

"Yes, and I'm a woman of my word. If that makes any sense."

/\

Rina panicked as her Pokemon's attacks missed once again. Dialga and Palkia seemed to be at such a high level; every attack that did hit them did minimum damage but every attack they threw at Rina and Tizzy's Pokemon was nearly enough to knock them out. Shroomish had been taken out just like Happy had been, even though Shroomish wasn't at a low level. Tubby was proving to be a real fighter – he had taken the brunt of most attacks but was still standing. Glaceon and Flareon were barely standing but were forcing themselves to hang on because they were the last of Rina's Pokemon standing. Sparky was sitting upright against a wall, trying to get her energy back to rejoin the fight. If Rina hadn't left her bag back at the Pokemon Centre she could have easily healed all of her Pokemon.

Glaceon, Flareon and Tubby stood in a line facing Dialga and Palkia. Both sides were waiting for the other to make a move. It had been this way for a minute or so. Dialga moved forward to hit the Pokemon on the other side with a Dragon Claw but Sparky managed to hit it with a weak Thunderbolt that was just about strong enough to paralyse the Pokemon. Glaceon hit Dialga with a Blizzard attack and Flareon combined it with a Flamethrower. Unable to move due to paralysis, Dialga could only watch as the attacks drew closer to it. Palkia placed itself in front of Dialga and took both attacks, weakening it even more.

Dialga and Palkia both suddenly let out a terrifying roar and the ground shook. Rina and Tizzy lost their balance and ended up kneeling on the ground, watching as Dialga and Palkia readied a move they hadn't seen before.

Dialga's eyes were glowing an orange colour and the diamond on its chest was now glowing blue. The fins on its back grew larger and it opened its mouth, an indigo coloured ball forming.

The pearls on Palkia's shoulders were glowing pink, its eyes were glowing orange and its forearm was starting to gather energy.

The indigo beam was fired from the ball and it shot towards Flareon, Glaceon, Tubby and Sparky. At the same time Dialga fired its attack; Palkia slashed at the air and released a pink crescent blade or energy from its arm. The Pokemon were too stunned to move and watched in horror as the two powerful attacks drew closer.

The next ten seconds went by so fast that no one could register what had happened. The only thing Rina and Tizzy were aware of was that their Pokemon hadn't been hit by the attacks and there was a huge explosion.

"Looks like I got here in time," Rikki said, happy that she was playing the role of the hero.

Rina and Tizzy stood up and looked behind them, grinning when they saw Rikki and Andy. Rikki's Pokemon had joined the other Pokemon and were firing attacks at Dialga and Palkia, who were both left momentarily paralysed after using their attacks.

"I knew you would show up," Rina told her.

"How could I miss out on the action?"

Two loud roar's caused the group to look towards Dialga and Palkia. They were both panting, scratched, bruised, and in terrible shape. Rikki's Pokemon were standing in front of Rina and Tizzy's Pokemon and was looking just as proud as Rikki. Two portals formed behind Dialga and Palkia and both Pokemon turned around and quickly fled.

"Don't look so smug," Rina laughed. "All you did was show up after the fight and deal the final blow. Tizzy and I did all of the hard work."

Tizzy nodded in agreement but Rikki's grin didn't leave her face.

"You wish! My Pokemon are clearly in better shape than yours."

"Whatever you say Rikki." Rina recalled Glaceon and Flareon to their balls and then helped Sparky up. "Let's go back to the Pokemon Centre; I need a shower, some food, rest and I need to take in what just happened."

"I also need to fill you in with what happened to Terry."

/\

Once they had made it safely back to the Pokemon Centre, all four trainers had handed their Pokemon to Nurse Joy and her two Chansey before going up to their room to take turns to have a shower. With the amount of damage some of the Pokemon had taken, Nurse Joy advised the group to wait until the morning before checking on their Pokemon. Rina checked her watch and was surprised to see it was already 8:35pm. While Andy was having a shower and Rina was relaxing, Rikki and Tizzy had gone down to the canteen to see what was left.

Just as Andy was getting out of the shower, Rikki and Tizzy returned with some sandwiches and drinks. Rikki told them it was all that was left so they would have to wait until the morning to eat proper food. Rina shrugged and took her food from Rikki and got comfortable on her top bunk. As they ate Rikki told her friends about running into Terry, battling and defeating his Blastoise, and then keeping him there until the police came. Rikki exaggerated most of the story so much that it didn't sound believable so Rina made her tell it again.

It was just after nine when Rina, Tizzy and Andy fell asleep. It had been a long tiring day so it wasn't a surprise when Rikki realised they had been unusually quiet for a while and found all three of them sleeping with half eaten sandwiches still in their hands. Rikki had crept out of the room in her pyjamas and left the Pokemon Centre so she could sit outside for a while and think.

Rikki had a serious problem: one that she couldn't bring herself to tell her friends just yet. Professor Rowan had given her an opportunity that she would be stupid to let pass by. It was what Rikki wanted to do, but she wasn't sure if the time was right.

How was a girl supposed to tell her best friends she was leaving them to go to Hoenn?

/\

Note: I don't know if you are still reading this story... with the exception of RainNote =) but if you are then you are probably thinking "Rikki has a Froslass?" I thought that too. I needed to know what her last Pokemon was as I couldn't remember and I was honestly shocked when I looked through my documents, looked through her profile and saw she had a Froslass. I don't think I've ever mentioned that before...

RainNote: You said you thought this didn't have a plot and I was kind of annoyed at first but then I realised why you thought that. Well, I was planning this chapter for a while as I built up to it a few chapters ago. Hopefully this chapter filled that hole...?


	43. Aftermath

"Shroomish, attack Slakoth with Mega Drain!"

"Froslass, use Blizzard on Roserade!"

The attacks hit with massive power and their opponents were down. Rina and Rikki cheered as they accepted their prize money.

"That's our sixth win today!" Rina boasted proudly.

"That's nothing special," Roger commented. Rikki shot him a look while Rina wished Andy had heard.

It had been a whole ten days since the incident at Mt Coronet and a lot had happened in that time. The group were still hanging around Pastoria as they were busy doing separate things and they were in no rush to move on. Rina had spent most days away from her friends to go and train her Pokemon. Rikki had been in and out of the Great Marsh to find some rare Pokemon (not for Rowan, but for herself) and when she wasn't doing that she was joining Rina. Tizzy and Tubby were busy coming up with contest routines; she knew she was banned for six months but she was determined to win when she could enter. Tizzy had been quite down recently as Andy was too busy to spend time with her. He was too busy with Roger.

Andy had bumped into Roger the day after the Mt Coronet incident and they became friendly with each other rather quickly. Andy felt like he had known Roger his whole life – that's how friendly they were with each other. Andy found himself leaving his friends to hang out with Roger, not realising how much it was affecting his best friend Tizzy. It wasn't long before they were actually dating.

Rina and Rikki weren't too thrilled when they found out. They weren't big fans of Roger but they couldn't bring themselves to tell Andy. They saw a change in Andy; he seemed much happier now that he was with Roger. When Tizzy found out she acted as if she was pleased for him but then had a break down in front of Tubby. She felt like her best friend had been ripped away from her and she didn't like Roger one bit.

Andy was keen to get his friends and Roger on good terms so the past couple days had been what he liked to call 'bonding time.' At first Rikki had protested and said she had other plans but eventually gave in when she realised how much this meant to Andy. The first 'bonding' day didn't go down very well. Andy had booked a table at a fancy restaurant that Roger had offered to pay for (he was kind of rich) and Rikki only agreed to go because she didn't have to pay for her own food. Rina and Tizzy were trying to get along with Roger but it was impossible. He had a habit of making snide comments about Andy's friends wherever possible but Andy failed to notice. Rikki had sneakily put some salt in his water and when Andy found out he was outraged. The once shy, timid Andy everyone knew suddenly exploded at Rikki, telling her how immature and horrible she was. Rikki didn't argue back; she had a feeling Andy would dump Roger once he knew how he acted towards his friends.

Rikki had also avoided telling her friends about her trip to Hoenn. She was aware of Rina's plans to go to Hoenn after the Sinnoh League to get her Gallade back, and she was sure Rina would suggest Rikki wait so they can go together. However, Rikki didn't _want _to go with Rina. She didn't want to go with anyone for that matter. Rikki enjoyed travelling with friends but she wanted to go to Hoenn with just her Pokemon. She thought it would be great for her to travel alone again. She liked doing her own thing but she couldn't do that when she had Rina collecting gym badges and Tizzy set on the idea of being a co-ordinator. All Rikki wanted to do was travel Hoenn to find rare Pokemon. She wanted to camp out every night as oppose to sleeping in a Pokemon Centre. It would break her best friends' heart if she said 'I don't want to go to Hoenn with you.' Rikki had called Rowan a few times to keep him updated and to say that she was interested, she just didn't know if she wanted to go right away.

Rina also had another huge problem on her hands; one that couldn't be dealt with properly unless she went back home for a while. Rina had recently called her mum with the intention of bragging to her and Ashley about seeing two legendary Pokemon, and to also let them know she was okay. Only, Rina hadn't been able to do much bragging. When Catherine had answered the phone it looked as if she had just woken up – even though it was the afternoon – and she hadn't showered in days. Her hair was a mess, her eyes were red and she was wearing her pyjamas and a dressing gown. Rina soon realised why her mum looked such a state. In the background, Rina could make out a few empty wine bottles. Catherine claimed it was a one off, saying it was to celebrate her friend's engagement. Even if that was the case, Rina wasn't very pleased. Rina didn't like it when her mum drank that much and it was even worse when Rina spoke to Ashley privately and found out she had been in the house at the time. According to Ashley, their mum had thrown a party with some close friends and what was meant to be a small celebration turned into an out-of-control party complete with a lot of alcohol and loud music. Half way through the party and several bottles of wine later, Ashley had packed an overnight bag and went next door to Sheila's for the night, along with the Pokemon that were being neglected that night. Rina hated the thought of her mum being back on the drink after she was doing so well. After hearing about it, Rina decided that after the Sinnoh League, she would go home and collect Ashley and take her to Hoenn. She would rather have to permanently babysit Ashley then leave her in the house. Rina had confided in Rikki to get her opinion and Rikki said it would the best thing to do.

"Are you going to help us or not? Stop being so lazy." Rikki snapped out of her thoughts and looked up to see Roger staring down at her with an annoyed expression on his face.

"What?" Rikki asked, completely confused. She couldn't remember what everyone had been getting up to in the last ten minutes, as she had sat down on a log after her battle to think.

"I'm going to cook tonight to give Andy a break," Roger filled her in. "He and Rina have gone to collect firewood. It wouldn't hurt you to help out a bit."

"Whatever," Rikki replied as she stood up. She started filling the bowls with Pokemon food as it was possibly the easiest job going.

Roger turned towards Tizzy and frowned when he saw her messing around with Tubby (again). Roger would take control over the girls when Andy wasn't around and they always seemed to do what he asked of them.

"You could help too."

Tizzy looked at Roger and pouted. "But I'm practicing my contest routine."

"I don't care what you are doing. Make yourself useful."

Tizzy sighed as she fed Tubby some cake and went to help Rikki. Tizzy felt like Roger was bullying her: he seemed to pick on her the most and when she asked why he simply said it was because she ruined the contest that his sister was going to win (according to him). He would make comments about her hair colour, Tubby's weight; anything that he thought would upset her. Roger didn't insult Rikki as much as he did Rina and Tizzy. He chose to go the extra mile because she had given his little sister a black eye. He would occasionally trip her up, walk into her to make her lose her balance and fall over and a lot of other things.

Rina came back with firewood and said that Andy had gone to get some more water. Roger ordered her to start a fire and she did so without hesitation. It had gotten to the point where the girls couldn't be bothered to say no.

"You three need a serious make over," Roger suddenly said. Rikki glared at him and asked what he meant.

"Well look at yourselves! Frizzy-"

"Tizzy,"

"_Tizzy _is wearing a stupid Snorlax suit! I mean can it get any worse than that? She looks like she got lost on the way to a seven year old's fancy dress party. Rikki, you are wearing a tank top and skirt – which is okay I guess – but what girl wears trainers with a skirt? And Rina your tights are hideous and your converse do not match your skirt in the least."

Sparky and Tubby stood back as they watched a somewhat amusing scene unfold in front of them.

Andy returned with a bucket of water just in time to see Rikki lunge for Roger and rugby tackle him to the ground. Rina was feeling pretty angry but she didn't agree with violence so she pulled Rikki off of Roger and yelled at Tizzy to help. Tizzy stood still, refusing to help as she wanted to see Rikki claw Rogers' eyes out. Andy put the bucket on the floor and rushed to Roger's aid, looking at a small scratch on his arm that Rikki had made. Rikki broke free from Rina's grip and grabbed the bucket of water, chucking it on Roger and also wetting Andy. Satisfied, Rikki folded her arms over her chest.

"What is wrong with you three?" Andy raged.

"Excuse me but Tizzy and I didn't touch your precious boyfriend. Although we would have if we were violent," Rina pointed out.

"You didn't exactly help did you? I'm ashamed to call you three my best friends!"

Three hearts shattered into a million pieces. That one hurt. Tizzy stood there, stunned. What was her best friend in the whole world saying? Rina and Rikki stood in silence, also hurt by Andy's harsh words. Their timid, sweet Andy was favouring that horrible Roger over them. Never did they think Andy of all people could speak such cruel words. Tizzy suddenly sprinted off with Tubby following behind. To make matters worse, it seemed as if Andy meant what he had said. He hadn't apologised and said he didn't mean it, he hadn't run after Tizzy, and he hadn't even looked at them. He was too busy paying attention to Roger. Rina called for her Raichu and they left silently to try and find Tizzy. Rikki was waiting to see if Andy would say anything to her. Minutes passed and he still hadn't acknowledged her.

"You know Andy; I didn't have you down as the stupid type. I thought you would have seen through _him _and his nice act. I can't believe you could say such a thing to us. Tizzy has been your best friend for how long and you upset her like that and don't say sorry? You've possibly lost three best friends but what does that matter; you gained one boyfriend that has been insulting us for days on end. I hope you're happy."

Rikki walked off in the same direction that Rina and Tizzy had gone. She looked back to see if Andy showed any remorse, but he didn't. Rikki was certain Andy hadn't even listened to her and hadn't thought about her words. After all, he hadn't asked for an explanation and hadn't asked Roger about the accusation of him insulting his friends. Rikki saw Andy kiss Roger on the cheek and carried on walking, disgusted.

Andy just didn't seem to care.

The three girls sat around a table in the Pokemon Centre, upset and angry. They had all ordered burgers and chips but they had hardly touched their food. It wasn't the same without Andy planning their next route or giggling with Tizzy. Tizzy had given most of her chips and her burger to Tubby and Sparky which was really out of character for her. It was like Andy had died. Rikki sighed as she dunked a chip in her sauce and played with her food.

"I'm not one to usually be affected by these kinds of things but this is really depressing," Rikki said as she looked at the clock on the wall.

"We have to do something," Rina replied. Rikki said it was no use trying to talk to Andy; he would have to find out himself.

Rikki looked at Tizzy and frowned at her – she looked so sad. Andy was her best friend and for him to ditch Tizzy for a guy he has known for less than two weeks wasn't right. If this was a different situation Rikki would be rolling her eyes and telling Tizzy to get over it, but she knew Tizzy was hurting.

Rina pushed her plate away and Sparky and Tubby practically raided her food. Rina felt as if she had been getting on really well with Andy and was trying to think of a plan to get him back. Roger was a big problem considering how smitten Andy was with him.

The automatic glass doors opened and the girls looked up to see a strange man walk through. They had all been eagerly awaiting Andy's return in the hope that he had gotten the truth out of Roger and he was coming back to apologise – but were disappointed. The doors opened again but this time Andy walked through. Tizzy beamed when he looked over at them and it looked like he was alone. Andy looked away from her in shame and sat down at a table and sure enough, Roger walked in and joined him.

Tizzy's smile faltered and she stood up, motioning for Tubby to follow her. She walked out of the Pokemon Centre, not wanting to have to watch as Roger took her place in Andy's life. Rikki also stood up but she didn't go after Tizzy, instead she stormed over to where Andy and Roger were sitting and slammed her hands down on the table. Rina and her Raichu hung back slightly embarrassed at how much attention Rikki had attracted.

"Fancy Pants, get lost while I talk to Andy," Rikki demanded. Roger looked at Andy and he nodded, knowing how scary Rikki could be when she was angry. Roger slowly stood up and walked in the direction of the canteen. Rikki sat down opposite Andy and looked at him sternly. She looked over at Rina.

"Aren't you coming?"

Rina quickly stood up, grabbed Tizzy's bag which she had left behind, and was by Rikki's side in seconds. Rikki was about to speak when she could practically feel other people's eyes on her. She turned around and yelled at them to mind their own business. Luckily for her, Nurse Joy was out the back so there was a slim chance of being told off.

"I understand that you like Roger a lot but that gives you no reason whatsoever to distance yourself from us – especially Tizzy. Do you have any idea how upset she is?" Rikki began.

"Do you know how upset Roger is?" Andy quickly asked. "I do have a reason for not wanting to be around you guys: you were really mean to Roger."

"He was mean to us!" Rina said in defence. Andy frowned at her and shook his head.

"You guys will always mean a lot to me but I can't understand why you are making up lies about Roger," Andy said with an upset expression on his face. "I've never once heard Roger say anything negative to any of you. What I did see though was Rikki attacking my boyfriend and you and Tizzy standing there watching."

Roger came back to the table holding a bottle of water to tell Andy that he was going out for some air and he would see him a bit later. Rikki watched suspiciously as he left. What was he up to…?

"I know you will probably say no but I dare you to follow Roger,"

"Excuse me?"

"Do it," Rikki dared him. "I bet he has gone to find Tizzy and then maybe you will see Roger's true colours."

"I am not going to spy on him!"

"Then I will." Rikki opened Tizzy's bag and rummaged through the food and sweets until she found her BlukBerry. "I always knew her phone would come in handy!"

"I'm not going to let you do this!" Andy grabbed for Tizzy's phone but Rikki held it away from his reach.

"Try and stop me."

Meanwhile….

Tizzy frowned when she saw Roger heading towards her, a smug look on his face. Tubby made a sort of growling noise to warn him off but it had no effect on Roger. He knew if Tubby moved to attack him, his Machoke could easily knock it him out.

"Why are you out here all alone dear Frizzy?"

"I'm not alone, I have Tubby," Tizzy replied.

Roger took a seat next to Tizzy on the grass and looked up at the moon. He was going to love this. Roger was planning on making Tizzy think Andy would never forgive her, in the hope that Tizzy would just give up and move on. Then Andy really would be all his.

"Now Tizzy, you do know I have won don't you?" Roger asked with a smirk. Tizzy stared at him not knowing what to say. It wasn't in her nature to give people horrible looks or to be rude.

"I don't know what you mean dearest Roger." What Tizzy had picked up on was that Rikki's sarcasm always worked in her favour. It was worth a try.

"Sarcasm doesn't suit you," Roger said calmly. Tizzy turned her head to the left to look at Tubby but caught sight of Rikki crouching down in some bushes. Tizzy gave her a strange look when she saw she was holding her phone. Rikki quickly put a finger to her lips to tell her to be quiet.

"What do you want Roger?"

"I just wanted to let you know that Andy is done with you,"

"Andy isn't 'done with me'," Tizzy said quickly. "We're best friends."

Roger chuckled and shook his head. "I don't think you quite understand what I am saying Frizzy. Andy chose me over you. He isn't very bright is he? He didn't once hear me make fun of you and the other two. Ah, you have to love him though right?"

"Don't talk about Andy like that!"

Rikki stepped out from the bushes with a proud smile. "Don't worry Tizzy; I have everything I need on your wonderful phone. I would love nothing more than to talk with you Roger, but I simply can't wait to show this to Andy!"

Roger gaped at Rikki as he realised she had been recording the conversation. He wasn't sure how much she had gotten but he was certain it was enough to end his relationship with Andy. Roger quickly moved towards to Rikki to try and get the phone but Tubby held him off while Rikki made a quick getaway with Tizzy.

_Note: I have to admit, this chapter was thought up by Crazy Amazing and Roger is her character. I thought it would be fun to do and I actually enjoyed writing this __ I didn't plan on ending it like that but it was over 3,000 words…_

_College it hard. That's my reason for the long wait._


	44. Sorry

Andy didn't cry; he would be strong. There was actually no need to cry when he thought about it. Roger was just a guy – there would be so many more. Andy passed Tizzy back her phone after watching the recording Rikki had forced him to watch. She said it was for his own good. He agreed. Rina placed a comforting hand on his shoulder but he shrugged her off. If they showed him sympathy it would just make him upset when he didn't want to be. Andy knew he shouldn't cry over a guy. He did want to cry for another reason though. It had taken him a long time but he had finally come to realise how horrible he had been to his friends.

His _real _friends.

Only, Andy had a feeling it would be hard to make it up to them.

Roger walked into the Pokemon Centre and threw himself on the seat next to Andy, rambling on about how he could explain. Andy lightly pushed Roger away from him.

"We're going to leave for Sunyshore once we have packed up our stuff. Meet us by the café that is between Pastoria and Sunyshore okay?" Rina said as she motioned for Tizzy and Rikki to follow her. She felt they needed to leave Andy and Roger alone.

Once his friends had disappeared out of the lobby Andy turned to face Roger – who didn't look that sorry.

"Why did you say those things to Tizzy?"

"She made me say-" Andy cut Roger off.

"Don't try it," Andy said firmly. "Tizzy would never make someone say such things." Andy's face then softened. "Just tell me the truth now; did you ever like me?"

"Yes, I did like you! And I still do! Please forgive me." Roger begged. Andy shook his head at Roger.

"I can't. You were really horrible to Tizzy and I care for her a lot. I'm starting to believe that you said mean stuff to Rina and Rikki too."

"Please, just hear me out," Roger begged again. Andy sighed and agreed to listen to what Roger had to say.

/\/\

The girls had packed up all of their stuff (including Andy's) and had left the Pokemon Centre. As they left they could hear Roger talking about how much he cared for Andy. It would take fifteen minutes at the most to reach the café they had planned to meet Andy at. For most of the short journey, the girls had remained silent. Each of them was thinking different things.

Rina knew from the moment that Andy had finished watching the video on Tizzy's BlukBerry that she would have no problem forgiving him. Rina had always been the type to give people another chance. She could understand why Andy didn't believe Roger had said anything bad to them as he had never witnessed it. All he had witnessed was them being mean to Roger.

Tizzy was unsure what she was going to do when she next saw Andy. She was pretty sure he would dump Roger. Tizzy cared about Andy a lot and he was her best friend, but he had hurt her quite badly. He had caused her so much pain and upset when he said he was ashamed to call her his best friend. He hadn't said it directly to her but everyone knew he meant her as well as Rikki and Rina. But on the other hand, best friends were supposed to sort out their problems and move on. As long as Andy apologised to her, called her a wonderful friend, and treated her to some sweets she would forgive him.

Rikki was totally against forgiving Andy. Unlike Rina, Rikki rarely gave people second chances as she didn't believe people could change for the better. Out of the small group, Rikki was closer to Rina and Tizzy than Andy. Sure, she valued his friendship and was nice to him, but she wasn't sure she could refer to him as a 'best friend'. On the odd occasion she would say he was her best friend but she meant it more when she was talking about Rina, or even Tizzy. Rikki found it hard to trust people and she had gotten to the point where she was on the verge of trusting Andy fully and thinking he was a good friend. That was before the whole Roger situation though.

After walking along the beach and passing through an expensive hotel, the girls had reached the café. This particular café was different from any other one in Sinnoh. It was a place to eat but it was also filled with trainers eager to have a double battle. The trainers weren't much competition for the girls so they didn't bother battling them. Most of the trainers Pokemon hadn't even evolved yet.

The girls waited and waited and there was still no sign of Andy. It would start to get dark soon and Rina had her heart set on getting her final badge before the gym closed. The sooner she got it the sooner she could set off for the Sinnoh League.

"We have been waiting for nearly an hour now!" Rikki complained. "Can we just go? I'm sure Andy can get to Sunyshore by himself."

Tizzy looked at Rina and gave her a look that clearly said 'I-want-to-wait-for-him-so-you-decide'. Rina sighed and looked at her watch.

"The gym closes in a couple of hours and I did really want my badge today…" Rina trailed off, hoping her friends would take the hint.

"Right, then let's go."

Rikki turned on her heel and started walking towards route 222. Rina, Tizzy, Sparky and Tubby followed her.

/\/\

Andy had finished his talk with Roger a long time ago, but he still hadn't left the comfort of the small room he shared with his friends as he had been crying and didn't want his friends to know that. He noticed his stuff was gone and the only thing left was the room key which he would have to hand in to Nurse Joy before he left. Andy doubted his friends would still be waiting out in the cold for him after all this time. He wouldn't blame them; he had been a rubbish friend to all three of them. Being the only guy in the group was sometimes hard so Andy had loved having Roger for company. Andy just wished he had stuck to having girls for company.  
Roger had pleaded with Andy to give him another chance and Andy was about to, but he changed his mind just as quickly as he contemplated it. Andy had gently told Roger it was over and Roger eventually left, promising to leave Andy and his friends alone.

It wasn't that Andy didn't want to see his friends. No, that wasn't the case at all. He was just scared that they would tell him to get lost and travel alone. After putting many negative thoughts into his head, Andy had decided what he was thinking wouldn't happen. He knew that Rina and Tizzy would forgive him really soon as they were forgiving people and Tizzy was his best friend. Andy was mostly scared of Rikki. He hadn't said anything to her but he had noticed all the dirty looks she had given him before she left. Andy didn't want Rikki to hate him as he considered a good friend and it would be awkward to travel with her if they didn't get along.

Andy glanced at the small digital clock on the bedside table. He then remembered hearing Rina say she was going to challenge Volkner so Andy quickly got up, grabbed the key and left the room. It would only make the situation worse if he missed her gym battle. He had to start doing things right from now on.

/\/\

When Rina reached the Sunyshore gym she was disappointed at what she saw. There was a note taped to the door that said Volkner was visiting a friend called Flint, and wouldn't be back until Friday – a whole three days away. Rina, being the positive person she is, soon got over it and said it would give her more time to train her Pokemon. Rikki blamed Andy straight away. Rina tried to reason with her but Rikki was having none of it.

Andy arrived in Sunyshore soon after and had found his friends sitting in the lobby of the Pokemon Centre eating. Tizzy had picked up something for Andy and gingerly handed it to him when he sat down next to her. The friends remained silent for a while, each of them waiting for someone to say something.

Of course, it had to be Rikki that broke the silence.

"You should be feeling very guilty right now," Rikki said. "Because of you Rina has to wait three days before she can challenge Volkner."

Andy looked at Rina apologetically and although he had no clue as to how it was his fault, he said sorry because Rikki was giving him a very nasty look.

"Don't be sorry, it wasn't your fault," Rina said in a reassuring voice.

"Yes it was his fault!" Rikki insisted. "If he hadn't been hanging around with Roger for ages we could have left Pastoria days ago!"

Andy slouched down in his seat and looked at Tizzy. She was holding onto Tubby's arm and looking at Rina desperately.

"Aren't you even going to apologise for everything?" Rikki demanded as she stared at Andy. "You believed Roger over us and hurt our feelings, yet you haven't even tried to sort things out."

Rina murmured something about giving Andy a break but Rikki paid no attention to what she was saying. Andy opened his mouth to speak but closed it again. He didn't quite know what to say. Andy felt pressured by his friends – and even Sparky and Tubby – watching him.

"It's okay Andy, we forgive you," Tizzy said helpfully with a small smile. Andy grinned at her, glad that his best friend had managed to forgive him so easily. Rina nodded in agreement.

"Well if you two want to forgive him then that's entirely up to you," Rikki scoffed. "But I for one won't be letting this go so quickly."

Andy accepted this. He knew what kind of person Rikki was and he was prepared to give her as much time as she wanted before she put everything behind her. They finished eating in a slightly awkward silence, with Rina trying to make conversation every now and again.

/\

Three days later…

Keera stretched her arm as far as she could whilst still holding on to the branch she was sitting on to keep her steady, her long mouse brown hair falling in front of her face. Urging herself not to look down, she silently begged the frozen Beautifly to edge closer. Keera cursed her rotten luck. Of all the Pokémon in all the regions, she had to be stuck with the one Beautifly that was afraid of heights. She had been trying to cure her Pokémon of its phobia by climbing tall trees and hoping that Lentil – her Beautifly – found the strength to overcome her fears. So far it had been a failure. Lentil was dead set against being cooped up in a Pokéball and so things were made all the more difficult for Keera because she had to rescue Lentil herself. Keera's fingertips were almost brushing the delicate tip of Lentil's wide wing now. If she could just reach a little further she might be able to–

_**Crack.**_ Keera felt the branch she was sitting on drop a few inches. Whipping her head around, Keera saw something that made her stomach drop: the branch was splitting. Keera whimpered, praying that the branch held. Fate did not have the same plan in mind however and before Keera knew it, she was plunging towards the earth far below. She thought she was going to become a pancake in the middle of Sunyshore City. Keera looked just in time to see that she was falling directly above a group of people and she shrieked in alarm. The group didn't hear her until it was too late and she had landed on top of one of them. Keera was small for her age and therefore didn't weigh much. She pleaded to some higher power that that was enough to spare the stranger any fatal injuries.

"Oh my goodness, its raining girls!" Tizzy squeaked excitedly. Keera looked up and saw three teenagers and two Pokémon staring down at her. Rina offered a hand out to Keera to help her up. At her feet stood Sparky. Keera took Rina's hand gingerly and got shakily to her feet to study the people she had almost squashed – and the one she actually had. The girl Keera had landed on was Rikki and her angry blue eyes were fixed solely on Keera. Rikki's black top and red skirt caused Keera to jump to the immediate conclusion that she was tough enough to show off her girly side. Keera thought Rina was dressed like a collectible doll in her cute yellow top and black skirt. Tizzy was bouncing up and down so animatedly that her flat brown stomach peeked out from under her yellow t-shirt, clutching on to Tubby's arm.

"A-are you okay?" asked Andy nervously. His timid brown eyes were filled with concern: Keera liked him immediately. She nodded in response to his question and he seemed relieved to learn that she was fine.

"You fell from the sky! Do it again, do it again! How did you do it?" Tizzy enthused ecstatically, oblivious to the broken branch next to her. Keera wasn't quite sure how to respond to the obviously eccentric girl and found herself speechless, wondering if anyone could really be that dense.

"I'm just glad no-one got hurt," breathed the Rina. Sparky nodded her head in agreement and Rikki lost it.

"Hello? Have you forgotten the person this kid FELL on?" she raged, her cheeks flushing red. If Keera had been a politer girl, she might have held her tongue. As it were, Keera had never really cared for manners.

"It's not like I meant to fall on you! It was an accident okay? Jeesh, get over yourself. And besides, who are you calling 'kid'? I bet you're not that much older than me," Keera ranted, matching fury with fury. Tizzy gasped and Keera noticed that she, Andy, Tubby and Sparky took a few cautious steps backwards, obviously afraid a fight was going to break out after such an outburst. Rina was the only one who stepped forward, putting herself between Keera and the girl she had fallen on.

"I think we've got off on the wrong foot here. Let's introduce ourselves properly. I'm Rina Summers and my Raichu is called Sparky," said Rina breezily. Keera told Rina her name in return and also learned the others' names. Rikki demanded to know how old Keera was and was surprised to learn that at the age of fourteen, Keera was only a few months younger than Rina. Noticing that her friend couldn't let go of the negative feelings she had quickly developed for this vulnerable looking girl, Rina urged Rikki to back off a little – or at least talk out her problems. Rikki scowled deeply at Keera and pointed a finger in her face.

"We'll settle this with a Pokémon battle. Three on three sound good to you?" Keera blinked at her blankly, totally clueless. She had never been in a Pokémon battle in her life and had no intention of changing that anytime soon. She was a Pokémon coordinator. The minute Tizzy heard this, her eyes lit up as she realised she might get some pointers from this much shorter girl. It was a shame that Keera went on to explain that in her three years of practising, she had never won a single ribbon. Her spirits dampened, Tizzy visibly deflated.

"What were you doing in that tree?" asked Andy, more relaxed now that he knew everyone was okay. Keera began to explain about Lentil and her phobia of heights and as she did so, Lentil herself dropped from her perch in the tree, right into Keera's arms. This earned Tizzy's approval and she clapped her hands at the wonderful performance. Becoming quickly attached to this girl she had deemed 'magical', Tizzy merrily invited Keera to come with them to watch Rina challenge the gym leader of Sunyshore City, Volkner. Not having any other plans, Keera allowed herself to fall into step alongside the other teens and their two token Pokémon, Lentil hovering at her side as they headed towards a flight of stairs that led to the elevated walkway. They walked along the walkway in the direction of the gym and all the while, Tizzy could not stop asking Keera questions.

"Why haven't you won any contests? How come you're so short? Where are your friends?" Keera didn't know whether to regard Tizzy's query about her height as an insult or not. Luckily, Andy assured Keera not to take offence – Tizzy may be his best friend but that didn't mean he wasn't aware of her innocently large mouth. Keera told them about her one true friend: the shy, petite Rosalind who fainted whenever she had to talk to more than two people at once. She was away at the moment which was why Keera didn't have anything better to do with her time than travel the short distance to the local gym. Keera and Rosalind both were coordinators and they shared the same dream of one day winning a competition – as partners. They entered double performance contests all the time but were always disqualified because it was against the rules for two people to work together.

Suddenly, Rikki began to laugh loudly and cruelly. The other four teenagers stared at the blonde until she calmed down enough to explain herself.

"You're so stupid! If I were you, I wouldn't waste time climbing trees; I'd be training my Pokémon for the next contest. You do realise that even if you entered individually and got to the second round, you'd be screwed?" Keera looked up at Rikki quizzically and asked why she would be 'screwed'.

"You said you've never battled before. The second round is a battle tournament!"

"We're here," announced Rina, stopping Keera from making a quick come-back to Rikki's comments – not that she had one. They had stopped just outside the double doors of a round arena-like building that was made of large white bricks and what looked like more solar panels on the roof. Rina took a deep, calming breath before pushing open the double doors and making an entrance inside. The others followed her. There was a wide yellow battlefield in the centre of the gym, surrounded by pink stadium chairs. At one end of the battlefield was a young man with blonde hair, posing confidently. The group of teenagers approached him and Rina challenged him to a battle for a Beacon Badge. The man lifted his head and smirked, his blue eyes shining.

"All right, challenger. It's not often, but some Trainers manage to come and challenge me. But they've all been boring battles. I didn't break a sweat beating them. I'm Volkner, the Gym Leader. They say I'm the top Gym Leader in Sinnoh, but... Anyway, I guess we'd better get this done. I hope you're the Trainer who'll make me remember how fun it is to battle!" Rikki narrowed her eyes and blew her hair out of her face.

"What did you do, practise that speech before you went to bed?" she scoffed. Volkner's face remained neutral. "Rina will take you down easily!" Rina smiled at her friend for being supportive but Rikki missed it; she was far too busy keeping a cautious eye on Tizzy. She had somehow zipped over to Volkner and was dreamily feeling his arm muscles in awe. He was a smooth talker, a sharp dresser and an older man! In Tizzy's opinion, there was nothing in Volkner that wasn't admirable and she wanted to admire him all.

"Keera, you gotta feel this guy's muscles!" she squealed, practically drooling. Annoyed and embarrassed by her behaviour, Andy dragged Tizzy away from a severely creeped out Volkner and to the stands. Rikki and Keera trailed behind after wishing Rina good luck. As they walked over to the audience chairs, Keera nudged Rikki hard in the ribs. Rikki's head snapped around to glower at the little girl.

"I want you to know that just because you don't value the people who care about you, other people do. I won't forget what you said, Nikki," threatened Keera in a low, dangerous voice. Rikki was surprised by the vicious tone but not enough to take it silently and bit back at Keera.

"Okay first of all, it's Rikki. Second of all, I don't care what you think. You don't know me or my friends; you have no idea what we've been through so don't make accusations like that." They sat down next to Andy and Tizzy who were already seated in silence. Because of his gigantic size, Tubby was sitting on the side-lines of the battle field from where he cheered on Rina and her Pokémon. Tizzy was used to having to go to special measures for Tubby and didn't mind as much as she would have once: she had Happy to cuddle and keep her company.

Out on the battlefield, Rina and Volkner had released their first Pokémon and were beginning to battle with everything they had. Giddy with excitement, Tizzy stood up to let rip a mighty cheer.

"Come on Volkner! You can do it!" Everyone stared at her incredulously. Whose side was she on? The battle in the middle of the arena came to an undecided pause as Tizzy grinned sheepishly.

"What?" she said. "He's cute!" Rolling her eyes at the impressionable girl, Rikki marvelled at the fact that Tizzy was the oldest. She never even tried to act like it. To counter Tizzy's stupid cheer, Rikki got to her feet and cheered on Rina who realised she had an opportunity to attack Volkner's Jolteon while he was distracted.

"Shroomish, use Poison Powder and then follow up with Leech Seed!"

Rikki sat back in her chair; satisfied as Shroomish shook her small body and released a sparkling purple powder combined with small orange and green specks from the hole on her head. The powder scattered around Jolteon and as he inhaled the poison took effect.

As Jolteon's body shook from the effect of being poisoned, Shroomish shot multiple seeds towards her opponent. When the seeds came into contact with Jolteon they sprouted vines which wrapped around him. The vines immediately began to suck energy away from Jolteon.

"I should have been more prepared for a set up like that!" Volkner admitted. "Coming at me with a Shroomish was a shock, but now I know what your tactic was."

Volkner then ordered Jolteon to attack with Double Kick. Jolteon sprinted across the field, but he was slower than he should have been due to the poison. Rina didn't say anything and let Jolteon attack Shroomish. Jolteon kicked at Shroomish twice, knocking her back. Rina then intervened.

"While Jolteon is close to you use Mega Drain!"

Shroomish quickly used her attack and drained energy from a stunned Jolteon. Shroomish regained health which made up for the Double Kick assault.

"I see what you are doing here," Volkner said. "You are going to allow Jolteon to be worn down by the poison and use Mega Drain to stall at any opportunity."

"Well I suppose it isn't surprising that you worked out my tactics so quickly."

"It is quite a cheap tactic, I must say."

Rina glared at Volkner. "It may be cheap but it's going to help me win this battle. Shroomish use Headbutt!"

Shroomish rammed herself into Jolteon and knocked him off his feet. Jolteon was extremely worn out from the poison and the Leech Seed was also draining his energy. Jolteon managed to hit Shroomish with a Charge Beam but then fainted. Volkner said nothing as he recalled Jolteon and released his next Pokemon, which was a Raichu.

Rina recalled Shroomish so she could switch out to Sparky, her own Raichu. Rina wanted to see which Raichu was stronger, and make this interesting since they were the same species. Volkner's lip curled slightly in a smile.

"I can tell you this now: my Raichu is a lot stronger than yours. I can tell just by looking at them both."

"You are entitled to your own opinion, but I think you should save it until after this battle."

"Enough chit-chat now, this is a battle not a talk show. Raichu start off with Toxic!"

Raichu released a purple liquid that hit Sparky and poisoned her straight away. Rina grimaced; Volkner was using her tactic against her.

"It is quite annoying when your Pokemon is poisoned, isn't it?" Volkner asked playfully.

"I thought you said this wasn't a talk show? It doesn't bother Sparky if she is poisoned, she can still fight! Use your Dig attack!"

Sparky burrowed her way under the battle field and over to Raichu's side. Rina noticed that it was taking Sparky longer than to use her attack than usual. Rina made a mental note to not let another Pokemon get poisoned during this battle. When Sparky finally made her way to where Raichu was standing, she came up and knocked Raichu off his feet. Volkner retaliated by ordering Raichu to use Focus Punch. Raichu stood up and drew his paw back and made it into a fist while Sparky cringed from the poison. Raichu then punched Sparky in the cheek and knocked her to the ground. Volkner quickly called out for Raichu to use another Focus Punch and as he about to punch Sparky again, Rina called out to her Pokemon.

"Roll away!"

Sparky rolled over on her side and just about avoided the punch that Raichu had tried to throw at her. Raichu punched the ground and cried out as he hurt his paw. Rina instructed Sparky to use an Iron Tail and Sparky attacked Raichu in his side. Both Raichu panted as they stared each other down. Sparky was suffering from the poison and her cheek was hurting. Raichu had taken a lot of damage from the Dig attack and his right paw was hurting, making it useless.

Volkner, wanting his Raichu to win, told him to ignore the pain and use Charge Beam. Raichu gritted his teeth as his body started to crackle with electricity before firing it straight at Sparky. Sparky quickly unleashed a powerful blast of electricity from where she was laying on the floor. Both electric attacks collided and caused an explosion. When the black smoke cleared both Raichu were knocked out. Volkner took out a Pokeball and recalled his Raichu as Rina pulled Sparky away from the battle field.

"Looks like our Raichu may be evenly matched in power," Rina suggested with a smile on her face.

"Maybe so." Volkner smiled slightly and took his last Pokeball in hand. He threw his Pokeball and an Electivire appeared on the field.

Rina knew which Pokemon would be able to take down Volkner's last Pokemon, as it was the only one with a type advantage. Rina tossed her own Pokeball and released her Piloswine. Rina grinned confidently. Piloswine had learnt how to use Earthquake yesterday when he was training with Rina.

"Type advantage means nothing."

Rina narrowed her eyes at Volkner's comment; it was as if he could read her mind. Rina was aware that type advantages weren't the key to winning a battle, but that didn't mean they didn't help. Rina had the upper hand in this round of the battle and she was sure she couldn't lose.

That was until Volkner called out a certain move.

Electivire ran towards Piloswine, her fist drawn back and surrounded by fire. Piloswine ducked when Electivire threw the first punch, but the second punch hit Piloswine on the side of his body. Piloswine grunted as part of his fur was burnt.

"Piloswine don't let it get away with that! Earthquake!"

Piloswine grunted in pain and then jumped into the air, striking the ground when he landed and sending shockwaves throughout the battle field. The attack hit Electivire which such force that she staggered back. Volkner called out to Electivire and hearing his command, Electivire regained her balance and used Brick Break on Piloswine. Piloswine grunted again but shook off the pain.

"Before they can attack again use another Earthquake," Rina quickly called out.

Piloswine huffed and once again jumped up into the air and struck the ground, sending shockwaves at Electivire. Before the attack could hit however, Electivire jumped up and the shockwaves passed by. Rina scowled but remained calm and ordered Piloswine to use Ancient Power. Piloswine's body began to glow white as a silver energy ball formed in front of his nose. Piloswine then fired the ball at Electivire and it struck her before she could defend herself. Electivire crashed into the ground and Piloswine speedily attacked her with a Take Down.

Electivire glared at Piloswine and in return Piloswine grunted at Electivire. Both Volkner and Rina were shocked when their Pokemon suddenly collapsed and were rendered unconscious. Both Pokemon seemed as if they could have gone on for a bit longer, but clearly not. Both trainers recalled their Pokemon and it was revealed that Rina had just about won the battle, the score being 1-0. Rina realised just how hard things were going to get from here. She had barely won that battle and if she wanted to do well in the Sinnoh League, she and her Pokemon would have to be dedicated to training.

Keera's eyes were dancing as she took in what a skilled trainer Rina was. That kind of talent only came from dedicated practise and it made Keera wonder if what Rikki had said earlier was partly true. There was no denying that Rina's performance had inspired Keera. Rikki turned to Keera, feeling smug that her best friend had beat Volkner so swiftly and decided to rub it in a little.

"She's amazing, isn't she?" Keera simply nodded in agreement. She turned to Lentil and very heatedly promised that they would one day match Rina in ability. Rikki held her tongue; she doubted someone like Keera could ever come close to Rina's standards but she supposed little kids could have their dreams.

Meanwhile, no-one had noticed that Tizzy had slipped on to the battlefield now that the challenge had been concluded. Her original goal was to collect Tubby but then she had caught sight of Volkner and her feet had somehow led her to his side just as he was handing Rina her brand new Beacon Badge.

"I felt thrilled during our match. That was a very good battle," he said with a smile. Tizzy threw her arms around his neck dramatically.

"Oh Volkner! You must be _so_ upset that you lost. Don't worry; I'll be your shoulder to cry on!" Volkner looked helplessly around for someone to take the deranged girl off of him. She was scaring him. In the end it took both Andy and Rikki to prize Tizzy away from Volkner and drag her kicking and screaming out of the Sunyshore gym. Rina, Keera and the Pokémon out of their balls followed them in shame. The troop walked the distance to the Pokémon Centre where Rina got her Pokémon healed and everyone bought some food. As they sat down to eat (or in Tubby's case, devour), Rikki stared at Keera for a few minutes before coming out with:

"Why are you still here?"

"Excuse me?" asked Keera, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, you're not one of us. The last time we let someone join our group, it ended kind of badly." Rikki's eyes flickered briefly towards a guilt-ridden Andy before returning to Keera once more. "We don't know you at all." Rina nudged Rikki in a silent plea for her to stop being so rude. Rikki ignored her. Keera looked at Lentil, who had taken a defensive position next to her owner after she sensed some hostility towards Keera. Andy eyed the Pokémon warily while Tizzy, blissfully unaware of a confrontation that was going on right in front of her, happily threw food to Tubby's waiting mouth.

"Are you saying you don't want me to be here?" asked Keera slowly.

"I'm saying I wouldn't mind if you left," shot back Rikki. Lentil fluttered her wings agitatedly and Andy quickly returned Happy to his Pokéball, just in case things got heated. Rina bit her lip, knowing that Rikki and her attitude had gone too far. Tizzy only understood that things had gotten out of hand when she felt the first signs of Lentil's Silver Wind attack. Tizzy grabbed Sparky, Andy grabbed Tizzy, Tubby grabbed Andy and together they fled the scene. The other people in the Pokémon Centre also evacuated on Nurse Joy's advice after she noticed the two angry girls and furious Beautifly. Rikki didn't move from where she was seated as did Rina, although that was mainly because Rina was on the inside booth and couldn't get past Rikki. All three girls' hair was blown about by the powerful wind and Rina began to feel afraid. What if they got hurt?

Lentil flapped her wings faster and silver crescents appeared in the air as Lentil's wings glowed white. The tension of the power in Lentil's wings built up until only sections of her wings were white. Realising Lentil was going to attack Rikki directly; Rina shoved Rikki out of the way only to be hit by a powerful gust fraught with silver sparkles.

Rikki opened her eyes to find Rina lying next to her, unconscious. The wind from Lentil's Silver Wind attack had died down completely but its affects were all around the Pokémon Centre. Papers had been blown on the floor, various light foods were everywhere, and Keera's hair was a mess. _Keera_. Rikki climbed to her feet to face the spiteful little girl as she stroked Lentil's head and congratulated her for a job well done, even if she had missed her target. Rikki couldn't believe that Keera could be so indifferent to the fact that she had inadvertently hurt Rina and Rikki could feel her blood boiling. Looking up, Keera spotted that Rikki was less than happy with the whole episode and it brought a smile to her face.

"You were right Rikki: you don't know me at all. But I think you knew my parents? They were in Team Elemental – and you put them in prison! Now I'm stuck living with a stupid great aunt whose idea of a fun time is to knit. Do you know how much that sucks? I lied about being a coordinator. I lied about my friend. Heck, for all you know I lied about my name!" Rikki swallowed nervously. It was clear to her that this girl had some major issues and not to mention a screw or two loose. Still, Keera had to be dealt with and it looked like Rikki was the only person brave enough to do it. Everyone else had gathered at the window and was peering in with great interest but none made any move to help. Rikki spotted Tizzy sitting on Tubby's shoulders cuddling Sparky with Andy in front of them on Tizzy's phone. Knowing him, he was probably calling the police.

Rikki knew they wouldn't get there in time.

"Do you even have a plan?" asked Rikki, mainly to keep Keera talking. If Keera was talking it was less likely that she would be thinking. Keera looked glad to have the opportunity to explain what had been flitting around in her head for a while now.

"Well it's obvious that Andy and Tizzy didn't have much to do with the arrests. Andy is sweet and Tizzy is like the comedy sidekick. Rina's got skills and you have attitude. I knew from the moment I realised who you were that I was going to have revenge for what you did to my parents." Rikki rolled her eyes, having heard enough from the petite girl. She had annoyed Rikki all day and now was her chance to get back at her for that. At least Rikki had a valid reason.

"You made one big mistake in trying to get revenge for your parents – even though the lowlife criminals deserve to be in jail," stated Rikki. Keera's eyes narrowed at the quip about her parents and asked what her mistake had been. Rikki's eyes darted over Rina's still body briefly and she felt her rage bubble over.

"You hurt someone I care about...very much. For that you're going to pay." Keera laughed without humour.

"I was wondering about that. You're smitten for goodie two shoes over there, aren't you?" Rikki didn't answer as Keera continued to laugh. Keera stopped laughing pretty quickly when she felt the impact of Rikki's fist on her nose. "I think it's only right we settle this without Pokémon." Keera nodded at Lentil who speedily flew out of the Pokémon Centre to a predetermined safe location. Rikki punched Keera again but Keera ducked this time and swept her leg through the air, knocking Rikki off her feet.

From the floor, Rikki lunged for Keera who tumbled to the ground with minimal effort on Rikki's part. Rikki jumped on top of Keera and began hitting her in any available place she could find since Keera kept her arms up to defend herself. Blood began pouring from Keera's nose and she retaliated by scratching wildly, sometimes catching Rikki with her sharp nails. Rikki allowed her anger at Keera to fuel her blows and as a result, each hit she landed on Keera was harder than the last. The crowd outside went wild; those who knew Rikki were wild with concern. Eventually the police turned up and Rikki felt her self being hauled off of Keera's body by a soft creature and when she looked back, realised that it was Tubby. An Officer Jenny handcuffed Keera and led her away from the scene. Rikki watched with satisfaction as Keera limped her way to the police car, blood dripping down her face and several green bruises present.

Once Keera was out of sight, Tubby let Rikki down and she immediately went to Rina's side. She found Tizzy, Andy and Sparky already there, along with a Nurse Joy. Worried, Rikki wanted to know if Rina was okay. Nurse Joy responded that there would be no sure answer until Rina woke up and that it would be safer if she stayed overnight in the hospital wing under constant supervision. The Silver Wind had been the most powerful one Nurse Joy had seen in all her years and she was amazed that Rina was still breathing.

"Does it hurt?" Andy asked softly, pointing to Rikki's cheek. Rikki put a hand over her cheek and winced. Taking her hand away, she saw a few spots of blood on the fingers and realised Keera must have cut her cheek. Rikki shrugged it off; Rina was more hurt than she was right now. Tizzy's lip quivered as she fretted for the safety of Rina and she clutched at Tubby for support.

People slowly filtered back into the messed up Pokémon Centre, buzzing about the excitement of the fight they had just witnessed. Rikki and Sparky followed Nurse Joy as she wheeled Rina to the back room. Andy, Tizzy and Tubby would have gone too but Nurse Joy didn't want to crowd Rina with too many people. Rikki held on to Rina's hand as they speedily made their way to a private room where Rina's body was carefully placed on a pristine white hospital bed. Rina looked so still lying there. Her face was paler than Andy's and her skin almost cold to the touch. A large bruise was forming on Rina's forehead from where she had fallen. Sparky stood on the side of the bed, gazing sadly at her owner and willing her to get better quickly. Rikki's clasp on Rina's hand tightened as a single tear ran down her cheek. She didn't know what she would do if she lost her.

/\/\

A/N: Gosh that was a long chapter! But it makes up for the long wait right? About that… I'm not going to throw excuses at you but I can assure you the reason isn't simply because I couldn't be bothered. I can promise you the next chapter will be up in a few days because I actually wrote it before this one… Don't ask why. I was just excited to write it! I say a few days because this chapter is extremely long so I think two chapters would be too much.


	45. Survival

There was just two days left until the Sinnoh League started and Rina had only just made it through the Victory Road. She emerged from the cave looking a mess: her hair was sticking up all over the place, her face was covered in patches of dirt and mud, she had dark circles under her eyes, scratches all over her arms and face and her clothes were ripped and dirty. That was nothing compared to her badly injured arm though.

"Those were by far the worst five days of my life," Rina complained.

/\/\

It had taken Rina a while to recover from the incident involving Keera and her Beautifly. She had been gutted when she was forced to rest and that meant less time to train. Rina was really grateful when Rikki offered to take her Pokemon out and help them train, so it wasn't that bad. The only worry Rina then had was that she wouldn't make it to the Sinnoh League in time.

After Rina had fully recovered and left Sunyshore, she was none too happy when her friends told her they were taking it easy and would be going around Victory Road. Not only would they be free of wild vicious Pokemon, but it was a much easier route and would take two days at the most. Victory Road on the other hand, was a huge maze filled with agitated wild Pokemon and dirt. Rina, being the trainer she was, opted to go through Victory Road.

Although she was glad to get out, Rina didn't regret her decision in the least.

_Flashback_

Not wanting to be alone in the cave Rina had released all of her Pokemon from the moment she stepped inside. Not only would she be forced to sleep in the cave but she had to sleep around possibly dangerous wild Pokemon. Rina had set up a routine that she thought would really help her survive through the nights. Her Pokemon would take turns to guard the others while they slept throughout the night, and when the two Pokemon on guard duty got tired, they would switch with the next pair.

The first night of guard duty didn't go very well. Staraptor and Shroomish were paired together but half way through the night Staraptor decided to stretch her wings so she flew off for a bit. Problem was she got lost because it was so dark and Shroomish was left to defend the others by herself. It didn't take long for a Golbat to spot the small grass type and Shroomish couldn't defend herself and ended up being carried away. Rina woke up in the morning to find two of her Pokemon missing, and spent hours walking in circles looking for them. After that, it was decided neither Pokemon would be on guard duty for a while.

The wild Pokemon were the strongest Rina had ever faced and she was having trouble dealing with them. The Pokemon were mostly rock types so her Raichu, Flareon and Staraptor couldn't really touch them. Shroomish was still weaker than the rest and even her Mega Drain wasn't enough to knock out one Onix. The wild Pokemon seemed to enjoy picking on Flareon and Rina used up a lot of healing items on him.

Two days in and Rina barely had enough food left for her and her Pokemon. She didn't think it would take more than three days to make it through the cave and hadn't really come prepared. The entire group seemed to quickly work up an appetite and were eating more food than usual, so they had to resort to desperate measures. Rina wasn't keen on the idea but it was her only choice.

Three days in and Rina finally allowed her Flareon and Glaceon to hunt for wild Pokemon for them to eat.

The first meal her two Pokemon brought back was a Golbat. Rina actually threw up when she saw her Pokemon presenting her with a dead Pokemon partially covered in blood. Never in her life did Rina think she would allow her Pokemon to kill other Pokemon and then eat the poor thing. Naturally, her team had no problem devouring the Golbat, whereas Rina was hesitant but when she realised just how hungry she was she forced herself to eat some. Rina found that Golbat were actually quite tasty in a weird way.

On the third night Sparky and Flareon were on guard duty and were ambushed by a Graveller. Both Pokemon were at a huge disadvantage but took the attacks the Graveller was throwing at them. During the commotion Rina woke up and gasped at the sight of her two Pokemon: they were badly beaten up and in pain. Shroomish woke up and was quick to jump in to help her team mates. She had levelled up a fair bit and managed to knock out the Graveller and evolve into a Breloom during the fight.

Having another fully evolved Pokemon on her team made Rina think it would be a whole lot easier for her. She was also sure she was getting closer to the exit which was a plus since she was extremely low on supplies and although Flareon and Glaceon were bringing her dead Golbat every day, Rina couldn't wait to eat normal human food.

On the fourth day of her trek through Victory Road, Rina was attacked.

As they were getting closer to the exit the wild Pokemon seemed to be getting even stronger. As Rina turned a corner she came face to face with a group of angry Gabite. They lunged at Rina all at once and she screamed out for her Pokemon who were a few feet behind her. The Gabite knocked Rina off her feet and slashed at her with their sharp claws. Glaceon was the first to react and pounced on the larger Gabite that was causing most damage to Rina. Glaceon bit down on Gabite's neck, drawing blood and eventually killing it. Three Gabite remained and seeing their leader dead angered them even more. They continued to slash and bite at a screaming Rina. Breloom punched one in the jaw and then Staraptor swooped down and knocked another one off Rina. Sparky jumped in and hit the final Gabite with a well-placed Iron Tail. Staraptor was knocked back by the Gabite it was fighting with a Dragon Rage, but was soon stopped by Flareon and a powerful Fire Fang. Rina shakily got up and screamed from the sudden pain she felt in her arm. Piloswine joined Sparky and managed to knock out the Gabite in one hit, allowing Sparky to help Rina. A couple minutes later and Rina was surrounded by her Pokemon, some of them covered in Gabite blood. Rina wasn't sure how many Gabite they had killed – she just knew she was in a lot of pain and she didn't want her Pokemon to be murders.

After the incident Rina came across a pool of water and was able to see her reflection. She had cuts on her face and she soon realised the only bad injury she sustained in the fight with the Gabite was the deep gash on her right arm which she had used to try and shield her face. Rina allowed Breloom to rip the bottom of her t-shirt off so she could wrap it around her wound to help the bleeding. Rina felt really uncomfortable walking around with what was now a badly ripped belly top. Her Pokemon had also forced her to drink some Full Heals and Potions to help ease the pain which she discovered tasted horrible.

It wasn't the first time Rina had seen a more violent side to some of her Pokemon. Ever since she had evolved into a Raichu, Sparky had been spending more time with Rikki and was slowly picking up on her violence and sarcasm. Now when Rina sent Sparky into a battle, she refused to give up until she had battered her opponent to a pulp. Rina discovered Piloswine was also quite a vicious Pokemon. Flareon and Glaceon were also showing signs of being a bit rougher than usual. Breloom and Staraptor were the carefree Pokemon on the team that fought fairly.

Rina was completely fed up and depressed at this point. Things weren't meant to be like this! Rina wanted to pass through Victory Road with ease, she wanted her Pokemon to level up and learn new moves, she wanted to have fun and look forward to the Sinnoh League. But what had she got instead? She had got attacked by four Gabite, her Pokemon had resorted to killing, she had been living off dead Golbat (that she had allowed her Pokemon to kill) and although her Pokemon had learned some new moves, that didn't make up for all the crap she had been through. Oh, and Rina was sure they had polished off nearly every Golbat in the cave, which meant it was even harder to find food since she didn't fancy trying dead Onix.

The last day Rina spent in Victory Road wasn't so bad. After being injured by the Gabite, her team made sure they were always with her and would immediately attack any wild Pokemon in sight. They were also moving forward a lot faster since Rina needed proper medical care and the whole team was exhausted and hurt.

Now standing in front of the huge building which contained the stadium Rina would be battling in, excitement replaced her pain. In two days she would finally be competing in the hugest competition ever.

"Nice look."

Rina averted her gaze to her left and saw Daniel standing there with a grin plastered on his face. Rina blushed. The last time she saw Daniel was back in Canalave City and he had given her his number. Now he was seeing Rina at her worst. Rina looked at her Pokemon covered in blood and looking a mess. How embarrassing.

"Is Victory Road that tough?" Daniel asked as he walked up to Rina and gave Sparky a smile.

"Oh yeah it is," Rina replied. "What are you doing here? Are you competing?"

"No I'm not; I'm actually here to cheer you on!" Daniel grinned at Rina and she smiled back. "Anyway I better let you get cleaned up and stuff. See you later!" Rina watched as Daniel walked off and she blushed.

Even though Rina still had a small crush on Daniel, she didn't like him. Rina had had feelings for someone else for a long time now and even thinking about the person made Rina blush.

/\/\

Rina went straight to the nurse to get her wounds cleaned up while another nurse herded her team into a separate room to be looked at. Rina's wound on her arm was cleaned up and it didn't look as bad anymore, although she did have to get stitches. The nurse told her the scratches would heal and would be gone in around a week. Rina was told her Pokemon would okay to compete in the Sinnoh League just as long as they didn't train or battle beforehand. Rina was slightly disappointed that she wouldn't get any more training done. She would have to leave her Pokemon with the nurse until the morning while they got cleaned up and rested, so Rina decided to head straight to the shop as the nurse said it sold clothes.

Rina received many stares on her way to the shop from other trainers so most of the way Rina kept her head down and would occasionally tug at the bottom of her ripped top.

"Dude, you look like a hideous zombie!"

Rina looked up and smiled widely when she saw her friends standing there gawping at her. Rikki's insult went straight over her head and she jumped on her friends for a hug.

"Don't come near me you horrendous monster!" Rikki softly pushed Rina away from her. "Man you stink."

"What happened to you?" Andy gaped at his friend.

"RINA! I MISSED YOU SO MUCH!" Tizzy squealed happily.

On the way to the shop Rina told her friends everything that had happened in Victory Road, purposefully failing to mention her eating Golbat and her Pokemon being killers. Rina found out that just a few hours after she had separated from her friends, they had been given a ride in a truck and had been relaxing for the past few days.

When they reached the shop Rina found it had a small selection of clothes. After trying on a few items of clothing Rina finally found something that she liked. She paid for the items and then her friends showed her to their room so she could have a shower.

/\/\

When Rina walked out of the bathroom an hour and a half later her friends were waiting to see her new look. It was a bit like when they saw Tizzy in her new outfit.

"Wow Rina, you look pretty! Even with your face covered in scratches," Rikki said with a smile. Andy and Tizzy agreed with her. Rina blushed profusely.

Rina was now wearing a simple white top under a lilac hoodie that had a white collar and black detailing, black shorts and white socks that you could barely see under her small black boots that had lilac laces going up them. Rina's Pikachu bag was a bit ripped but she decided it would last a bit longer.

"Thanks guys," Rina smiled. "I just hope my Pokemon are okay and can still battle."

"They will be fine," Andy reassured her. "Have you registered yet, Rina?"

"I totally forgot! Thanks for reminding me!"

Rina rushed out of the room and headed for the reception, leaving her friends behind. Once Rina reached the reception she groaned at the sight of the long queue. She dragged her feet across the carpet and joined the end of the queue. As Rina waited she kept hearing Rikki's compliment over and over again in her head.

The way Rikki complimented her seemed a bit different; she actually seemed to mean it. The way she had blushed was so embarrassing! Rina wondered if Rikki had noticed…

When Andy and Tizzy gave Rina compliments she would usually brush them off but with Rikki it was different. When Rina went on that 'date' with Daniel she was sure she liked him. But then again, Rina wasn't with Rikki that time. Why did she always find herself looking over at Rikki and smiling at every little thing she does? Like when she makes fun of Tizzy in a friendly way, Rina knew she shouldn't laugh but sometimes she did, though if someone else was to make fun of her Rina wouldn't find it funny in the least. It was just Rikki! She made Rina laugh and smile even when she shouldn't.

Rina thought back to when she had just left Sky and had met up with Rikki: she was so happy to see her. Rina had even jumped at the chance of them travelling together. However, Rina had convinced herself that they were just best friends – then again Tizzy and Andy are best friends and she had been practically in love with him for a while.

'_What am I thinking?' _Rina yelled in her head.

Rikki was just her best friend – nothing more, nothing less. Besides, Rina didn't fancy girls. Well, there was that time when she was thirteen and had a crush on the girl that was in the same class as her. Now that Rina thought about it properly, she and Rikki sometimes acted as if they have feelings for one another.

Like the time when they were going to Spear Pillar and Rikki refused to come but Rina somehow knew she would come in the end, and she did. And the time when they had a play fight because they had nothing better to do. They had laughed so much and had so much fun being together. Not forgetting the time when Rikki let Rina borrow one of her Pokemon when she battled Nicholas. Her Mothim was hurt during the battle and had to stay with Nurse Joy overnight but she never moaned at Rina. There have been so many times when it just felt Rikki and Rina were the only people in the room.

Rikki always stuck up for Rina like a true friend. When they came across Sky and her posh friend Alyssia, Sky tried to start on Rina but Rikki wasted no time defending her. Rina could tell Rikki was fuming after hearing Sky make up that story about her 'relationship' with Nicholas.

Rikki was such a caring person even though she put on a tough girl act. When Tizzy ran away Rikki called Rina up and she sounded so worried, even though she thought Tizzy was a bit on the odd side at the time. Rikki even tried to get Rina to enter that competition and offered to look for Tizzy by herself. She was such a nice person who would do anything for her friends.

She was also incredibly supportive when Rina's Gallade was stolen from her and the police claimed they could do nothing about it. Rikki always knew when Rina was upset even when she tried to hide it. She was always willing to do crazy things for her friends to make sure they were happy. Rikki was willing to risk getting everyone into serious trouble so that Tizzy could go home for her birthday by sneaking onto that boat.

Sure, Rikki could be violent when she wanted to be. Rina laughed as she remembered how proud she was when Rikki punched Roger's sister for upsetting Tizzy. But Rina loved that side of her. It showed how much she really cared about them all. Rikki was far from being dull and boring. She even attempted to steal money and various supplies from that hotel they were staying at in Cerulean City. Even though Rina had been angry at Rikki and she was angry at Rina for hogging a bench, they got over it so quickly.

Rina felt she could relax and just be herself when she was with Rikki. They had a right laugh when they played in the arcade on the SS Anne together. Rina remembered when Rikki had let her win a few games since she was rubbish compared to her. Rina actually tried to teach her some dance moves and although Rikki hated it (she _is_ a tom boy) she really did try to learn just to keep Rina happy.

"You know what? I think I may have a crush on my best friend, and I think she may like me," Rina whispered to herself.

/\/\

The next day Rina spent her time doing some training. She was aware of the fact that Nurse Joy had sternly told her not to do any training but she decided a few hours wouldn't hurt (much). Besides, Rina thought her Pokemon looked just fine - and it wasn't like her Pokemon had refused to do any training.

Every single one of Rina's Pokemon had learnt at least two new moves since they defeated Volkner and Rina wanted to make sure her Pokemon perfected them. She didn't want to call out a move during a battle only for it to fail terribly.

Rina hadn't told her friends what she was doing either: she was sure they would have something to say about her training. Ever since Rina had had a serious think about her relationship with Rikki while she was waiting to register, she had been avoiding said girl. Rina was almost 100% sure she had feelings for Rikki but she didn't want to say anything to save herself from embarrassment. Rikki had noticed Rina being especially distant towards her but had yet to tell her how upset it was making her. Rikki had suspicions that Rina liked her but hadn't asked her in case it wasn't true and then she would look stupid.

Rina's Pokemon were currently doing some serious training. The Pokemon that had perfected their moves would do some target practice while the ones who were still having some trouble perfecting their moves were getting help from Rina. She was finding it hard to divide her time equally between the two groups. Sparky, Piloswine, Glaceon and Staraptor were quick learners and had their moves perfected while Breloom and Flareon were still having trouble. Rina was trying to help them with their moves but she also had to watch her other Pokemon to determine how well their aim was.

The whole thing was stressing Rina out.

'_I'm starting to regret not bringing Rikki along with me,' _Rina thought to herself. _'She would be a big help right now.'_

"Okay, you two try and help each other while I see how the others are doing," Rina said to her Breloom and Flareon.

Rina sighed and walked over to her other group of Pokemon. They were doing fairly well without Rina's help but she still felt the need to check up on them. Since both Glaceon and Piloswine were ice types they were working well together while Staraptor and Sparky were trying to hit each other with their attacks. Having two ice types put Rina at an even bigger disadvantage if she was to face fire type Pokemon – which was sure to happen. Every one of her Pokemon had been taught a move that would useful if they faced a Pokemon they were weak against. Rina decided Breloom and Flareon needed a lot more help than the others so she went back to work with them. As Rina was busy with her two Pokemon, she didn't notice the person standing behind her. Glaceon growled to let Rina know. Ever since the Gabite attack, her Pokemon had become extremely protective. Rina turned around and frowned.

"Why are you here?" Rina asked.

"I'm here to compete in the Sinnoh League obviously."

"Sky, you weren't even interested in it before. Do you even have any gym badges?" Rina asked. She then realised how silly that question was.

"Well duh," Sky replied matter-of-factly. "I'm hoping to battle you so I can show you how strong I've become and so I can defeat you. I have to meet Alyssia now so I'll guess I see you on the battle field." And with that Sky walked off, giggling to herself.

'_If we do battle you Sky, I can promise you I will win. I guess I have another rival to worry about now, and she seemed so confident in herself. This is going to be one tough competition, that's for sure.'_

Rina turned back to her Pokemon.

"Let's get back to training guys," Rina said. "Even if we don't win this thing, there is no way we're losing to Nicholas _or _Sky."

/\/\

A/N: Yes, that's right. Rina and Rikki have feelings for each other! Surprised? Shocked? Lost for words? I hope so! One day at school Crazy Amazing suddenly suggested the idea of them being together and at first I was totally against it because I thought it wouldn't work, but after thinking about it and writing a one-shot, I decided I loved the idea. Who knows where things between them will go from here? Not even I know…


	46. Violet

Over the past two days Rina had been doing some secret training. Rikki, Tizzy, Andy and Tubby would take turns bringing Rina some breakfast as she was under strict orders to stay in bed, and would then go off and explore. There were many market stalls and various places to check out. Once her friends had left, Rina would force herself out of bed and go to a small grassy area behind the Sinnoh League to train her Pokemon. Rina was fully aware that both her and her Pokemon had been told to rest but despite her Pokemon's minor injuries, Rina took no notice.

Rina had been too caught up in all her training that she hadn't noticed why her Pokemon were slower and less powerful than usual. The injuries her Pokemon had sustained in Victory Road were nothing major but they prevented her Pokemon from doing their absolute best.

The day before the Sinnoh League was set to start Rina had been pushing her Pokemon to perfect their new moves when Nurse Joy had come across her. The Nurse had a lecture prepared for Rina (it was as if she was used to lecturing people like Rina) and her Pokemon were taken to be looked at. Sparky had a small rip on the end of her tail which couldn't be healed and it meant she would probably have a hard time using Iron Tail to its full potential. That seemed to be the only problem, as Rina's other Pokemon just had small cuts and scratches.

When Nurse Joy informed Rina's friends of her training, they put a stop to it. Rina didn't know when her first battle would be, as some trainers wouldn't have their first battle until a couple days into the Sinnoh League.

On the morning of the Sinnoh League the trainers were told to gather in the stadium at 9am sharp. Rina managed to make it on time while her friends decided there was no need for them to join her. Rina thought they could have at least kept her company, but they obviously didn't want to wake up early. Rina and Sparky walked over to the stadium and joined the other trainers. When Rina saw the amount of people gathered in one place she was stunned: she didn't think _that _many people were competing. Rina scanned the crowd and spotted Nicholas. She contemplated going to stand with him but decided against it. She couldn't see Sky anywhere.

A massive board was being held up in the air by two metal poles and Cynthia, the Champion of the Sinnoh League, stood under it. She began by welcoming the trainers and wishing them all the best in the competition. She then went on to explain the basic rules, followed by how the battles would work. Every morning the trainers who hadn't been eliminated would come to the stadium at 9am to see when their battle was, what time, and who they were facing. The battlefield would be decided randomly, as would if it would be a single or double battle.

After explaining the rules and such, Cynthia pressed a button on a small remote and the board flashed before displaying pictures of the people who were battling today. Rina looked over the board a few times and then found her picture which showed that she was battling a girl called Violet. The first thing Rina noticed was that the girl looked incredibly young. She also found out her battle was at 6pm, the last battle of the day.

Rina left the stadium and headed back to the Pokemon Centre. When she entered her room she found her friends were in the process of getting ready to go down to get some breakfast. Rina threw her bag onto her bed and switched on the computer. The Pokemon Centre was much bigger than the rest and had better facilities, such as a computer in every room. Andy was a bit of a computer nerd and had told Rina she could find out about any trainer, including their age, achievements, what Pokemon they registered etc.

"Andy, help me out here please," Rina said as she turned to face him. "I want to get some information on this girl called Violet; I'm battling her later on today."

"Alright, now watch carefully…" Andy stood behind Rina's chair and showed her how to search for a certain person and access their information. Rina was sure everyone would be checking up on their opponents. Once Andy had finished showing Rina how to use the database properly he, Rikki and Tizzy went down to get some breakfast. Rikki asked Rina if she had eaten and offered to bring her something back when Rina said she hadn't.

As her friends left the room, Rina got a small notebook and a pen from her bag and looked at the information given on her first opponent. As Rina read it, she jotted down the vital stuff.

"She is only ten years old?" Sparky leaned over the frame of the bed and peered at the screen. "She is just ten and is in the Sinnoh League. She must be a good trainer."

"Rai?" Sparky's paw suddenly pressed against the screen, pointing at a picture of a Pokemon Violet had registered.

"I can honestly say I have no idea what that is," Rina admitted. "I think it looks like it could be a dark type."

When Rina looked at the rest of her Pokemon she frowned. She didn't recognise any of them! By looking at the Pokemon carefully, Rina determined what type they could be.

"I'm pretty sure it is going to be a three-on-three battle so she could use any of these six choices. The problem is I'm not entirely sure what type they are so I don't know which Pokemon I should use."

"Chu?" Rina glanced over at Sparky.

"I can't understand a word you are saying," Rina laughed as she stroked Sparky's head. "Should I just go in with my strongest three? But would that even be fair?"

Rina took her Pokeballs off her belt and released her Pokemon. She looked back and forth from her Pokemon to Violet's, contemplating which Pokemon to use. Rina wasn't in a rush to decide; she had hours yet. Rina looked long and hard at her Piloswine. It was the only Pokemon on her team that wasn't fully evolved. Rina saw this as a disadvantage as she was sure the other Pokemon in the competition would be fully evolved.

"Using Ancient Power over and over again until he evolves wouldn't do any harm would it?" Rina asked herself as she continued to look at Piloswine. Piloswine grunted at Rina but she had no idea what that meant.

"You are not doing any more training," Rikki said firmly.

Rina turned in her seat and smiled sheepishly. She hadn't even heard the door open. Rikki handed Rina a bowl of cereal and sat on the bed closest to her.

"I mean it Rina," Rikki warned her. "I won't allow you to ruin your chances of winning this thing by over-working your Pokemon."

Rina sighed in defeat. Rikki was right – if Rina continued to push her Pokemon like she had been doing for since they entered Victory Road, it was likely they would pass out during a very important battle.

"You're right,"

"I know I am," Rikki grinned. "Now hurry up and eat, we want to watch some of the battles. Tizzy and Andy are already over at the stadium saving us seats."

Rina nodded and looked down at her cereal. She suddenly didn't feel very hungry; nerves were getting the better of her.

"You guys have it."

Rina placed the bowl down in front of her and was knocked off her seat as six Pokemon literally dived on the bowl and fought over the cereal, milk splashing everywhere.

"I think Tizzy should feed your Pokemon from now," Rikki suggested, knowing that Rina's Pokemon would never go hungry after being fed by the girl who owns an overweight Snorlax.

/\/\

Once they arrived at the large stadium, Rina and Rikki were greeted with a lot of cheering coming from the incredibly huge audience. It seemed a battle had already begun and people moaned as Rina and Rikki made their way through the rows of seats to get to their friends. Rina blushed slightly when she saw Daniel was sitting with Tizzy and Andy.

This was not good.

Rina had no other choice but to sit with a boy who she had a slight crush on, and a girl who she had proper feelings for. Rina hung back and hoped Rikki would sit down first so that she wouldn't have to sit with Daniel.

Too bad Rikki somehow caught on and realised this was the guy Rina had liked.

Rina could have sworn Rikki's face dropped at the sight of him, even for a split second. Next thing Rina knew, Rikki had pushed her forward and she had no choice but to sit next to Daniel. He smiled warmly at Rina and she introduced him properly to her friends.

Rina looked at Rikki out of the corner of her eye and frowned. Rikki was obviously not happy right now. She had been fine before they had seen Daniel. Rina couldn't help but wonder what was wrong with her: she would try to remember to ask her later.

Since Sparky had evolved into a Raichu she had gotten a lot fatter and found it difficult to find somewhere to sit, as she was too heavy to perch on Rina's shoulder. Her cheeks sparked in annoyance as she tried to squeeze past everyone to get to her trainer. Sparky eyed Tizzy thoughtfully and decided she would be her best choice. Sparky scrambled onto Tizzy's lap and hoped Tizzy didn't push her off. Tizzy grinned widely and cuddled Sparky; she obviously didn't care about her weight. Tizzy liked to hug things and since Tubby was way too big to be let out of his ball right now, she would have to settle for the Raichu.

Rina was trying to concentrate on the battle taking place but it was hard to do when Daniel was talking non-stop. Rina didn't even know what he was talking about; she wasn't interested and had better things to pay attention to. Rina wanted to pick up some tips from the battles and check out other peoples battling styles.

Rina watched in awe as a Pokemon called Hariyama effortlessly flawed an Arbok, knocking it out instantly. Rina released Breloom and told it to watch the Hariyama and pick up on its techniques. Daniel continued to ramble on about God knows what, but this time he was talking to Tizzy as she was actually listening and talking back. Rina looked at Rikki and when she caught her eye she smiled at her. Rikki smiled back and Rina instantly felt better.

/\/\

Rina's palms became sweaty and she was fiddling with one of her Pokeballs nervously. She and Sparky were stood in one of the entrances to the battlefield. It was nearing 6pm and in a few moments, Rina would be stepping onto the battlefield to battle Violet. Rina still had no idea which Pokemon she would be using. She was hoping Violet would have to release her Pokemon first so she would know what she was going up against.

The MC's voice boomed across the stadium, introducing both Violet and Rina. That was her cue to walk onto the battlefield. Rina power walked onto the field and saw Violet already standing on her side of the field. Loud cheers erupted as excited people eagerly waited for the battle to begin.

"This will be a three-on-three battle between Rina Summers from Twinleaf Town and Violet Wood from Rustboro City in Hoenn! The wheel on the side of the battlefield will be spun to determine what rules and such the trainers will play by!"

Rina looked to her left and saw Cynthia spin a medium sized wheel. Once it had been spun a few times it was announced that Rina would release her Pokemon first, they would play on a normal battlefield, and it would be a single battle. Rina cursed under her breath; she had such bad luck. She was relying on Violet to send her Pokemon out first but it looked like that wouldn't happen. Rina turned back to face Violet.

She had a pale face which was framed by her shiny black hair which was cut into a bob style. Her bright blue eyes and thin pink lips stood out against her pale skin. She was dressed in a simple red t-shirt and three quarter length jeans. On her feet was a pair of simple white pumps. A huge red bow was tied around her head like a headband. Rina didn't think she looked very tough, but she knew better than to judge a book by its cover.

Rina grabbed a Pokeball and threw it. She didn't have a clue which Pokemon she was sending into the battle, she just hoped she had made the right choice. Staraptor appeared and stood on the field, eyeing Violet and the Pokeball she was holding.

Rina silently prayed that Violet's Pokemon weren't too strong.

Violet's Pokemon was one that Rina hadn't seen before. It was slightly bigger than Staraptor and had a mean look fixed on its face. Its fur was white with a red mark on its stomach and it had a bushy tail. One of its ears was red and both its paws were red. Rina stared at the sharp claws it had.

On the board Rina's face was on the left side while Violet's was on the right. A picture of Staraptor appeared under Rina's face and a picture of the Pokemon Violet was using appeared under her face.

"Rina has chosen to go with her Staraptor while Violet has chosen her Zangoose! As Rina chose her Pokemon first she gets the first move!" The MC said.

"A Zangoose? It looks like a normal type to me so Close Combat would be my best choice," Rina whispered to herself. "Okay Staraptor! Use Aerial Ace and get close!"

Staraptor took to the air and flapped her wings to steady herself. She then did a back flip in the air and dove down on Zangoose, her body surrounded by white streaks. As she got closer to Zangoose, Violet whispered something which Rina couldn't hear. Staraptor slammed into Zangoose and pushed him back. Just as Staraptor was about to move back a bit, Zangoose grabbed hold of her feet and held her in place. Violet smirked as Zangoose opened his mouth and an Ice Beam attack suddenly hit Staraptor in the chest. Staraptor screeched in pain.

"Get out of there!" Rina called out desperately. She didn't want one of her Pokemon to go down so easily and quickly.

Staraptor struggled to break free from Zangoose's strong grip. Ice was beginning to form on Staraptor's chest. Violet folded her arms across her chest and watched proudly. The crowd cheered at Zangoose.

"Use your beak! Peck it on the head or something!"

Staraptor opened her eyes and momentarily ignored the pain. She started flapping her wings wildly and pecked Zangoose on the head continuously. At first it looked like Zangoose wasn't bothered by the annoying drumming feeling on his head, but he then let go of Staraptor and ended his attack. Staraptor backed away from Zangoose and stood on the ground, unable to fly properly because of the ice.

"Staraptor return for now!" Rina grabbed her Pokeball and recalled Staraptor. She then took another Pokeball in hand and released her second Pokemon. Breloom appeared on the field and the board changed so that Breloom's picture was lit up.

"So you think switching to a part fighting type Pokemon will help?" Violet asked cockily.

Rina ignored her. _'So it is a normal type… thanks for the help Violet!'_

"Zangoose, use Ice Beam again!"

Zangoose opened his mouth and a small ball of ice formed. It quickly grew and an ice cold beam of energy shot across the field. Rina quickly told Breloom to dodge and use Mach Punch. Breloom leapt to the left to dodge the Ice Beam and then sped across the field: Breloom was quite a fast and agile Pokemon. Zangoose blinked as Breloom was suddenly standing right in front of him. Breloom's right fist was covered in a white orb and she punched Zangoose in the head. Zangoose dropped to the floor, out cold.

"And Zangoose is down! Violet has one Pokemon down which puts Rina in the lead!" The board made a dinging noise and Zangoose's picture was blacked out.

Violet gritted her teeth and recalled her Zangoose hastily. Her next Pokemon was another one that Rina didn't recognise. It was green and resembled a lizard. It had a spiral tail and a red zig zag pattern on its belly. When it stuck out its tongue and Rina saw just how long it was, Rina shivered.

"That's disgusting…" Rina muttered.

"Kecleon get us back in the game! Shadow Sneak!"

Kecleon extended her shadow and it attacked Breloom from behind. Breloom kept her feet firmly on the ground as she took the attack. As Breloom was part fighting type she had a habit of taking any attacks thrown at her instead of trying to dodge them, unless Rina asks her to.

"Regain some energy with a Mega Drain!"

Breloom stuck her arms out in front of her and released a green beam that struck Kecleon. The beam surrounded Kecleon and started to drain her energy and some of the damage Breloom had taken was restored. When the attack was over Kecleon looked like it hadn't sustained much damage. Violet's next order was for Kecleon to use Psybeam: an attack that would do immense damage to Breloom.

The red stripe on Kecleon's stomach started to glow multi-coloured and it released a multi-coloured beam at Breloom. Wanting to take the attack, Breloom did nothing but watch as it got closer. Rina yelled at Breloom to move out of the way and she reluctantly did so. Violet was expecting that to happen, so she told Kecleon to change the direction of the Psybeam. Kecleon quickly used her heel to turn and face Breloom and the Psybeam struck Breloom. Breloom cried out in pain and then dropped to the floor. Rina stared at her Pokemon for a moment, hoping she would get back up. When she didn't, Rina took Breloom's Pokeball from her belt and recalled her. Her picture blacked out on the board. Rina contemplated what Pokemon she should use. Staraptor had been badly hurt but Rina figured it would be better for her to go up against Kecleon, who had taken damage, then a fully healed Pokemon. Rina released Staraptor. The ice on her chest was still there.

"Staraptor, I don't think you can take another hit so use Close Combat quickly," Rina said.

"Kecleon stop it in its tracks and grab it with your tongue!" Violet countered.

Staraptor put the pain she was feeling to one side as she flew up high and swooped down on Kecleon to attack. Kecleon watched Staraptor's every move and extended her long tongue to grab hold of Staraptor. Staraptor quickly dodged it by flying closer to the ground. When she was in front of Kecleon, Staraptor began hitting, kicking and pecking Kecleon. She repeatedly hit Kecleon with her wings, kicked her and dug her sharp claws into Kecleon, and used her sharp beak to peck her. Once the assault was over, Kecleon was lying unconscious on the floor. Violet scoffed and recalled her Pokemon, as did Rina. Staraptor was still standing but Rina wasn't going to risk keeping her in battle. Rina still had two Pokemon left while Violet only had one.

Rina released her Glaceon onto the field and Violet's last Pokemon was the first one Rina had seen on the computer earlier. Glaceon was about half the size of it. Rina looked at the Pokemon in fright. She couldn't believe how scary this thing was.

"Violet is down to her last Pokemon! This battle between Glaceon and Exploud will decide it all, as it seems like Staraptor won't be much use to Rina anymore!"

'_Gee, thanks Mr MC Person,' _Rina thought in annoyance.

Glaceon backed away slowly from the intimidating Pokemon. Rina instantly regretted choosing Glaceon; she was the Pokemon on the team that was less fearless than the rest. Going with Flareon, Piloswine or even Sparky would have been a better choice.

"It looks to me like your Glaceon is a tad scared of my Exploud, doesn't it Rina?" Violet asked in a mocking tone of voice.

"Glaceon isn't scared in the least! Show them Glaceon, set up with Hail!"

Clouds gathered together in the sky and a thick fog formed. Snow started to fall from the sky with hail stones occasionally falling and pelting Exploud. Not only would the hail stones hurt Exploud and cause damage, it would also make any Ice type moves used more powerful. Exploud groaned as a hail stone whacked him on the head.

"Now that we have set up Hail it's time to use Avalanche!" Rina grinned.

Glaceon looked up at the sky and let out a high pitched cry. Moments later, huge chunks of snow fell from the clouds and hit Exploud with massive power. Exploud roared in pain and staggered back. Violet instructed Exploud to fight back but he stayed where he was. Exploud shivered uncontrollably. Seeing the perfect opportunity and not wanting to let it pass by, Rina ordered Glaceon to use Quick Attack into Bite. Rina had picked up these techniques from watching Tizzy practice her combinations for contests. Glaceon sped forward and bit down on Exploud's ankle. Exploud collapsed on the floor and didn't get back up. Rina was shocked; Exploud seemed like a tough Pokemon yet it hadn't landed a single hit on Glaceon. She wasn't complaining though, and the crowd roared with excitement.

"And Exploud is down; meaning Rina is the winner and will move on to the next round!"

Rina smiled at Glaceon and thanked her before returning her to her Pokeball. Rina then breathed a sigh of relief and walked off the battlefield with Sparky, forgetting to tell Violet she had done well.

/\/\

Note: What's this? ANOTHER update? I'm on a roll you guys! Not that anyone is reading this anymore… 4/5 chapters left of SC.


	47. Confession

The day after the battle with Violet, Rina woke up early again to see if she had a battle. She was pleased to find that she didn't have a battle, although Sky and Nicholas did. Rina planned on doing some more training – yet she also wanted to watch their battles. If Rina was to face either one of them it would be good for her to see what Pokemon they had registered and if their battling style had changed.

Rina had breakfast alone as her friends were still asleep, which was a pretty lonely experience despite having Sparky there. If she even attempted to speak to her Pokemon while they were eating you were asking for trouble. While Rina waited for Sparky to finish eating, she looked over at the many tables for any sign of Nicholas or Sky. She didn't know why, but she really wanted to talk to them. It was a disappointment when she couldn't find them. Instead, Rina suddenly had Daniel for company as he sat down opposite her.

"No battle today?" Daniel asked.

"What makes you think that?"

Daniel shrugged. "I just thought if you didn't then we could hang out."

Rina stared at him not knowing what to say. She would rather not spend time with Daniel, at least not if it would be just the two of them. Rina was nearly completely over him and she thought that if she spent time with him the feelings she once had for him might resurface. Rina would rather spend the day with the person she really liked.

"I have to train," Rina blurted out. It was the first excuse that came to her head that made sense. Daniel smiled and offered to help her train. She looked at Sparky who was smirking at her. Rina nudged her playfully.

In the end Rina agreed as she couldn't think of any more excuses. She also felt bad once she realised how desperate Daniel was to spend time with her. They left the Pokemon Centre and found a spot which Rina considered good enough; it was only being occupied by a woman in her late thirties. Rina awkwardly released her Breloom and Piloswine. They were the two Pokemon that needed the most work.

Daniel stood right by Rina's side the whole time, which she found off-putting and slightly awkward. It turned out the woman who was also training there had a Mamoswine and so Piloswine practiced his Ancient Power with it. After a few minutes of training, Piloswine had evolved much to Rina's excitement. She now had a fully evolved team of Pokemon.

Rina sighed a breath of relief when her friends arrived a couple of hours later, but they soon left when they saw Daniel. Rina wanted to pull her hair out: her friends thought she still had a crush on Daniel. She was already fed up of Daniel's company; he didn't stop talking and was too clingy. After a few hours spent with him, Rina had had enough. She told him straight up that she had no feelings for him anymore.

"But why? I really like you Rina and I thought you liked me too," Daniel asked sadly.

"It was just a little crush Daniel," Rina told him. "Besides, I like someone else."

Daniel looked at her sadly and then dropped his head so he was staring at his shoes. He asked her who she liked and Rina froze. She couldn't tell him, she just couldn't. No one – not even Sparky – knew who she had feelings for. At least, that's what she thought. There were a few times when Sparky gave her a knowing look so maybe she _did _know. Rina felt bad when she saw how upset Daniel seemed. If she told him, surely he would understand?

"It's just that I like someone who I am a lot closer too,"

Daniel looked up. "Andy?"

"No way," Rina replied quickly. "I like Rikki okay?"

/\/\

It had taken Rina by surprise when Daniel had suddenly reacted in a way in which she hadn't expected. He had actually flipped out and called her horrible names such as 'disgusting' and said it 'wasn't normal'. Rina was truly hurt by his harsh words. Never did Rina think he could be so judgemental and senseless. Daniel said he never wanted to speak to her again.

She was now sitting on a grassy cliff with her legs hanging over the edge, looking up at the sky. Her Pokemon were nearby but were unaware of the pain their trainer was feeling. Rina was worried; if Daniel – who she wasn't even close to – had reacted in that way, what would her real friends and family think? Rina didn't even want to think about Rikki's reaction. She was so caught up in her thoughts that she hadn't even noticed Staraptor quickly dive down to catch Breloom, who had merrily skipped off the cliff. Breloom clearly wasn't looking where she was going. Staraptor struggled to carry Breloom back up and was exhausted when she did. Breloom hugged Rina's side and she looked down at her Pokemon.

"What's gotten into you?" Rina looked at her watch and remembered that Sky's battle started at 2:30pm and it was now 2:47pm. Rina had wanted to watch the battle so she ran back to the stadium, not even bothering to put her Pokemon back in their Pokeballs. The Pokemon had no choice but to keep up with Rina.

By the time Rina had reached the stadium, recalled her Pokemon and found a seat, the battle was just finishing off. Sky's Ninetales had just defeated a man's Clefable with a Fire Blast attack and Sky was declared the winner. Rina sighed in disappointment: she had desperately wanted to see her battle someone. Rina stood up and tried to look for her friends. People slowly filed out of the stadium as there wasn't another battle due until later on that day. Tizzy's magenta hair stood out like a sore thumb and Rina made her way to the exit where her friends were.

"We were wondering where you had got to," Andy said as Rina walked towards them. Rina smiled and told them she had been training.

"Well we are going to get something to eat," Tizzy told her excitedly. "I could eat a Rapidash!" Tizzy giggled and Rikki looked at her, disgusted. Rikki turned to Rina and asked if she was coming.

"No thanks, I'm going to call my mum and then do some more training."

Rikki frowned at Rina. She had noticed that recently Rina was spending less time with them, but she had just put it down to her wanting to do her best to win the Sinnoh League. Before Tizzy could even try and convince Rina to join them, she had already left the stadium with Sparky.

"Why is Rina not hanging out with us?" Tizzy asked. "Doesn't she like me? Do I smell? Am I too hyperactive? Is it my clothes? My hair? IS IT TUBBY?"

"Don't be silly. She just wants to make sure her Pokemon at are their best, that's all," Andy reassured her.

Rikki said nothing as she led her two friends out of the stadium. Rikki hadn't said anything to Rina, but she had the feeling she was actually hanging out with Daniel. Rikki had seen them together and was completely sure there was something going on between them. Rikki sighed and slowed down, allowing her friends to lead the way.

'_I need to be happy for her, no matter how much it may hurt.' _

/\/\

Rina's phone call with her mum hadn't lasted very long. Rina was hoping to hear when her mum and Ashley would be arriving to support her, but her mum was letting her down again. Apparently she couldn't make it because she was too busy (partying more like). Rina pleaded with her to come but she wasn't giving in. When asked if Ashley was still coming, Catherine had said no one would be able to bring her as she was too young to come on her own. Rina suggested Sheila or Professor Rowan come with Ashley, but Catherine said that would be too much to ask and left it at that. Catherine said she would be watching her battles on TV but that wasn't enough for Rina so she hung up.

"She's still the same," Rina muttered to Sparky. They were back by the cliff they had been training at earlier and all of Rina's Pokemon were out of their Pokeballs. Not much training was going on though.

Flareon and Glaceon were watching the smaller wild Pokemon carefully, ready to pounce. They were still into the hunting thing but they no longer killed Pokemon; Rina had told them not to. She still allowed them to pounce on wild Pokemon though as she thought it would help their timing when in battle. Staraptor was perched on a tree branch preening her feathers. Breloom was admiring the few flowers near where Rina and Sparky were sitting, and Mamoswine was starting to fall asleep.

Rina had been sitting on the cliff with her legs hanging over the edge for a while now, just thinking everything over. She had so much going on right now that she couldn't even be bothered to tell her Pokemon to train. She had yet to tell Rikki how she truly felt about her, and the way Daniel had reacted had put her off. What if it turned out Rikki was against it too? That would be the worst thing that could happen. Rina's stomach suddenly rumbled and she realised she hadn't eaten in hours. Suddenly feeling very weak, Rina decided she needed to get something to eat.

She stood up but as she turned around to face her Pokemon, the edge of the cliff gave way. Rina screamed as she felt herself fall but she quickly grabbed onto what was left of the cliff. Rina looked down and saw it was quite a long drop into the river beneath her. Sparky had also fallen but had managed to grab hold on Rina's hoodie. Hearing her scream, Rina's Pokemon looked to see what was happening. All they could see was Rina's hands gripping onto the cliff. Flareon and Glaceon sprang into action and sprinted off to get help. Rina screamed again as she suddenly felt Sparky's grip on loosen and her weight was suddenly lifted. Rina yelled for Staraptor to help Sparky. Staraptor looked at Rina desperately but she told her to concentrate on helping Sparky. She heard a loud splash and realised that Sparky had already hit the water, but Staraptor flew down to help anyway. Breloom bounded over and grabbed Rina's arm, trying her to best to pull her up. Rina struggled to support her weight and could feel her hands slipping. She tried to pull herself up but was too distraught and weak. She had barely any energy and could only concentrate on what was happening with her Raichu. Just as she was about to slip, Rina felt someone grab her other arm and pull her up.

Rina collapsed onto the grass in relief but she was breathing heavily. It had all happened so fast but it seemed like she had been hanging over the edge for hours. Her throat felt dry and her cheeks were slightly damp. Rina hadn't even realised she had been crying. She sat up and saw Nicholas standing over her with a concerned look on his face.

"Are you okay? When a Flareon and Glaceon literally ran into me and forced me to follow them, I had a feeling they belonged to you."

"T-thank you for helping me," Rina gasped. She was still a bit out of breath. "But Sparky fell into the water and Staraptor went after her. I don't know if they are okay."

Nicholas looked at Rina and saw how distraught she was. Nicholas helped Rina to her feet, put his arm around her shoulders and told her they were going back to the Pokemon Centre. Rina didn't bother to recall her Pokemon; she just let Nicholas take her back. Rina's head was spinning the whole way back. Nicholas was being nice to her! He had practically saved her life and was now calming her down, promising to help her find her Pokemon. As they were nearing the Pokemon Centre Rikki, Andy and Tizzy suddenly ran up to Rina.

"What's happened?"

"Why are you with _him_?"

"Why do your Pokemon look upset?"

"Where's Sparky and Staraptor?"

"Rina!"

"Be quiet! Stop asking so many questions and I'll tell you once I get Rina inside."

They shut up and followed behind Rina and Nicholas. Nicholas asked Andy to show him to the room where they were staying so he did. Rina remained quiet as they entered the room and she sat down on her bed. Her Pokemon piled in (save for Mamoswine who had to be put back in his ball) and sat with her. Rikki turned to Nicholas and shot him a nasty look.

"What did you do to her?"

"Rikki, don't be mean to him," Rina whispered. "He helped me."

"What exactly happened Rina?" Andy asked timidly.

"I was by that cliff that I've been training on but the edge collapsed and Sparky and I slipped. She fell into the river and I sent Staraptor after her. Glaceon and Flareon must have run off because next thing I knew Nicholas was pulling me up."

Rikki sat down next to Rina and hugged her. She apologised to Nicholas (something she hardly ever did) and told Rina they would go out and look for her two missing Pokemon straight away. The five of them, Rina's Pokemon and Tubby left the Pokemon Centre after Rina ate half a sandwich to begin their search. Rina and her Pokemon went in one direction, Rikki and Nicholas went in the opposite direction, and Tizzy, Tubby and Andy stayed close to the Pokemon Centre in case they came back there.

The trainers and Pokemon searched everywhere and walked for ages. Rina went back to the cliff a few times to look but didn't go anywhere near the edge. After hours of endless searching the friends gathered back at the Pokemon Centre, tired and without either Sparky or Staraptor. It was already dark out and Andy said there wasn't much point in searching while it was dark. Rina couldn't help but wonder why Nicholas was being so nice, but she didn't ask as now wasn't the time. She also didn't want to seem ungrateful.

The doors of the Pokemon Centre opened and Violet stepped out. She saw the group gathered together and turned to them.

"Rina, how are your Raichu and Staraptor?" she asked.

Rina looked up at her with a confused expression. When she asked what she meant Violet giggled slightly.

"Didn't you know? I found them _hours _ago and brought them in to Nurse Joy. I knew they were your Pokemon because of the green bow on Raichu's tail. Your Raichu is hurt but Nurse Joy said it's nothing major."

Violet barely had any time to say it was no problem, because as soon as Rina had said thank you she had hurriedly entered the Pokemon with her friends behind her. Rina wanted nothing more than to see her Pokemon and see what condition they were in.

/\/\

It was the morning after the incident and Rina was standing in the stadium, waiting to see if she had a battle today. She was hoping she didn't. Sparky was in no condition to battle for a few days and Staraptor was too exhausted. They were both still being looked after by Nurse Joy. With two of her strongest Pokemon unable to battle, Rina had doubts about winning a battle – if she had one today. Rina looked at the board and frowned when she saw her picture.

'_Just my luck.'_

Rina was set to battle in an hour's time against a girl named Hiltrud Warier. She hurriedly rushed back to her room to check out the girl's profile. One look at her profile and any hope Rina had left vanished. Hiltrud was only 12 and hadn't entered a Pokemon League before, but she had only ever lost one battle in her entire life.

"Looks like I'll be out of the competition sooner than I thought," Rina mumbled.

/\/\

Note: Around 4 chapters left.


	48. Hiltrud

Hiltrud Warier turned out to be a small and petite young girl. Her silky long blonde hair was gathered at the top of her head in a messy bun, a flower clip pinning it down. She had a small nose and thin lips but her big eyes were watching Rina's Pokemon carefully. She was wearing a light blue buttoned blazer which had a large bow on the front, a blue flowing skirt with a flower design and no shoes. She hadn't been particularly friendly towards Rina and hadn't said much to her before the battle. Rina found her to be a reserved person.

Rina and Hiltrud were engaged in a double battle and the rules were simple: the first trainer to lose both their Pokemon would lose. Rina looked at Hiltrud, her heart beating fast. The battle had barely begun and Hiltrud was already proving to be a good trainer.

"Flareon, use Flamethrower on Cradily! Mamoswine, Ice Shard on Ludicolo!"

"Cradily cover Ludicolo! Ludicolo, counter that Ice Shard with Hydro Pump!"

Flareon growled and opened his mouth, spewing out a hot stream of fire. Ludicolo jumped in front of Cradily, taking the attack head on. The attack didn't do that much, but it left Ludicolo with a burn mark on her side. Ludicolo winced from the burn. Mamoswine jumped into action and created a glowing light blue ball of ice in between her tusks. She fired the attack just as Ludicolo released a massive blast of water. The Ice Shard pierced through the water, breaking it down. It looked like the attack was going to hit Ludicolo, but at the last minute Ludicolo jumped out of the way and let Cradily take it. Cradily took a lot of damage and Rina giggled.

"Her Pokemon don't work that great together, something I can use to my advantage! With two of my strongest Pokemon unable to fight I need to give it my all. My Pokemon can work well together so I need to try and combine their attacks to deal massive damage. Hiltrud may be a good trainer but she won't get very far if her Pokemon can't co-operate. Ludicolo will probably be the one who has the best advantage against my Pokemon so I should take it out first... Flareon and Mamoswine, attack Ludicolo together! Use Fire Blast and Blizzard!"

Flareon readied a ball of fire in his mouth which then took the shape of a star-like figure. Mamoswine meanwhile opened her mouth and fired a cold blast at Ludicolo. Flareon waited a few seconds and then released the Fire Blast. The combined Blizzard and Fire Blast attack caused massive damage to Ludicolo and it dropped to the floor. Cradily also felt the Blizzard attack and staggered back. Cradily cried out as its body slowly became encased in ice. Hiltrud stomped her foot on the ground and yelled at her Pokemon to get a grip and fight back. Ludicolo shakily got to its feet and Hiltrud told it to use a Hydro Pump attack on Flareon.

A huge torrent of water slammed into Flareon, pushing him back and into the wall behind Rina. Rina panicked and turned her body towards Flareon, who was out cold. Rina sighed and recalled him then turned back to the battle.

"Mamoswine, let's quickly shake things up with an Earthquake!"

Rina was now desperate to take out both of Hiltrud's Pokemon as quickly as possible. She wasn't prepared to lose just yet: there were a couple of people she really wanted to battle with. Mamoswine roared and got on her hind legs. She then brought down her front legs and sent a shockwave throughout the field. The ground shook and cracked and Rina was feeling confident this would knock out her opponents Pokemon. Cradily, who was still frozen and unable to move, could do nothing but take the hit. Ludicolo however, quickly scrambled on top of the ice to avoid the hit. The Earthquake attack managed to break the ice as well as knock out Cradily. Ludicolo had managed to jump out of the way before the ice broke and survived the attack, taking very little damage. Hiltrud reluctantly recalled Cradily and then told Ludicolo to use another Hydro Pump.

Ludicolo blasted a powerful spiralling jet of water at Mamoswine. Mamoswine dodged the Hydro Pump and then charged towards Ludicolo. Mamoswine slammed her body into Ludicolo with all her strength. Ludicolo was knocked back and didn't get back up. Hiltrud gaped at her Pokemon and refused to believe she wasn't able to battle. Hiltrud stormed over to Ludicolo and yelled at her to get up. Rina could only watch as a security guard had to remove Hiltrud from the battle field. Rina recalled Mamoswine and grinned.

"Looks like I really don't need to depend on my stronger Pokemon after all!"

After winning her battle against Hiltrud, Rina headed towards the make-shift Pokemon Centre. She gave Nurse Joy Flareon and Mamoswine and asked her to give them a quick check up. Luckily her Pokemon weren't in bad shape so they didn't have to stay there. Rina asked about Sparky and Staraptor and Nurse Joy had told her that while Staraptor was at full health and able to battle, her Raichu was still recovering.

Tizzy then met up with Rina and offered to go to the Sinnoh League Officials with her. Rikki and Andy were back in their room sleeping: they were exhausted because they were waking up earlier than usual so they could get to the stadium and get a good seat. Rina had to see the Sinnoh League Officials to talk about her current situation. They agreed that it would be unfair on her if she had a battle before Sparky was up to full health, especially if she had to take part in a full battle. It was decided that Rina's battles would be put off for a day or two.

Rina and Tizzy didn't want to watch the battles going on so they had to decide on something to do. Tizzy wanted to check out the food and cakes while Rina just wanted to relax. Tizzy handed Tubby's Pokeball to her friend and asked her to look after him. Tubby was banned from the restaurant but Tizzy hadn't told anyone why.

Tizzy wandered off to find something to eat so Rina decided to go to the place where she trained. She let the Pokemon out and told them she was going to have a quick nap. Rina made her self comfortable in the shade under a tree and used her bag as a pillow.

"-It's about time we were let out for reasons other than to train,-" Flareon grumbled. Glaceon nodded and stretched her body.

"-But this is no fun! Where are the others?-"

"-No idea Breloom, but we should be happy we can relax.-"

Flareon moaned and said he was going to find the other Pokemon. He went back inside and Glaceon ran after her brother. Breloom looked at Tubby curiously. She walked over to him and laughed as she poked his belly.

"-It's so soft and squishy!-"

Mamoswine grunted and whispered to Staraptor that she didn't want Breloom for company. Minutes ticked by and the four Pokemon stood around, doing nothing more than pretending to be interested in the grass. Flareon and Glaceon eventually came back with Ivysaur, Happy and Monferno.

"-Why is _he _here?-" Staraptor nodded her head towards Monferno, who was grinning cheekily at her.

"-Nice to see you too baby cakes. Why don't we sneak off somewhere, just the two of us?-"

Staraptor shrieked and hit Monferno with her wing, screeching at him to stop being such a perverted monkey. Breloom moved closer to Glaceon and asked her what was going on. Glaceon said Monferno flirted with everyone – even the boys – and most of the Pokemon didn't take to kindly to him. With all the attention on Monferno, Tubby made his way over to a tree, picked an apple from it and shyly gave it to Glaceon. Glaceon blushed and took a bite out of the apple.

"-Ohhh lookie here! Tubster has a _girlfriend,_-" Ivysaur said, a grin plastered on her face.

Monferno's jaw dropped and he ran up to Tubby. "-I demand you tell me how you got a girlfriend right this minute!-"

Embarrassed, Glaceon walked over to the other Pokemon and left Tubby to it. Tubby shook his paws frantically and said he wasn't with Glaceon. The doors of the Sinnoh League opened and Tizzy came rushing out, waving a slice of cake in one hand and an energy drink in the other.

"I SEE BIRDIES!" Tizzy ran around screaming in delight, spilling her drink and dropping bits of cake. "I WANT TO FLY LIKE THE BIRDIES DO!"

"-She is your responsibility, go and sort her out before I shut her up,-" Ivysaur said to Tubby. Tubby ran after Tizzy, holding his paws out for the cake.

Rina woke up and saw Tizzy running towards her, screaming her name. Tizzy tripped over Rina's legs, dropping her cake and drink on the floor. Tubby came along and picked the cake up, shoving it in his mouth and swallowing it whole. Tizzy laughed uncontrollably while Rina helped her up.

"How many sweet things did you consume?"

"Hundreds and thousands!"

Tizzy slapped Rina on the back, laughed and then ran off. She ran straight into Nicholas, who was busy training with his Espeon. Nicholas glared at Tizzy but she didn't seem to notice. Rina jogged up to them and smiled at Nicholas. She hadn't really spoken to him since he helped her a few days ago.

"Hey! So how are your battles going?" Rina asked with actually interest.

"Get lost."

Rina looked at Nicholas, completely confused. "I thought we were friends now...?"

Nicholas asked her why she thought that and Rina reminded him of how nice he was to her when she lost her Pokemon. Nicholas claimed that never happened and said they never were and never would be friends. He then walked off with Espeon and Rina truly felt hurt.

"Why was he being mean?" Tizzy asked innocently.

Rina said she didn't know and then made Tizzy promise to not tell Rikki about it. She didn't want Rikki to make things worse by causing him bodily harm, because that was something Rina was sure she would do.

It was a few days later and Sparky was finally back to full health and allowed to battle. Rina hadn't battled but it wasn't as if she was sure to get to the finals, it just meant she would have to have up to three battles every other day to make up for it. People were getting knocked out of the competition a lot more frequently now and there was only around eight or nine contestants left, including Rina, Sky and Nicholas. Sky was doing well in her battles, not that Rina knew; she hadn't watched any of her battles. She didn't want to know what Pokemon she had now, which was why she hadn't looked at her profile on the computer. The trainers stopped doing that a while ago because they thought it would be more of a competition if they didn't know what they were going up against.

Rina had stayed clear of Nicholas. She didn't know why he acted like he did, but she had stopped caring. He never was a friend of hers and she didn't need him as a friend either. Nicholas had issues – that much was clear. Rina didn't know how he could be nice to her then a few days later act like it hadn't happened.

Instead of worrying about being friends with him or Daniel (who she hadn't seen so she had guessed he had left the Sinnoh League), Rina concentrated more on her actual friends – the ones she was travelling with. Rikki in particular. She was still confused about her feelings towards Rikki, but Rina was almost certain she had developed a massive crush on her. As far as Rina knew, Andy and Tizzy had no idea of her feelings. It wasn't like she didn't trust them enough to tell them; she just wanted to make sure she did like Rikki before she let Andy and Tizzy know.

Pushing all her thoughts to the back of her head, Rina took a deep breath as she heard her name being called by the judge. She walked onto the field, full of confidence and excitement. It was the battle Rina had been waiting for and she was glad she got the opportunity to battle the person opposite her.

The person had clearly improved in the last few months and Rina couldn't wait to see what her opponent was capable of.

"Well Sky, looks like we finally get to have a full on battle."

Sky ignored Rina and chose to simply stare at her. Sky wasn't going to let her rival how nervous she was feeling right now. She too had no idea what Pokemon Rina had now. Sky felt it wouldn't be as exciting if she had watched Rina's battles. All she knew was that Rina was doing well; she had gotten this far after all. Sky and Rina were no longer friends so both girls were sure this wouldn't be a friendly battle.

'_I don't know what Pokemon she has, or her battling style but I'm almost certain she will save her Raichu for the last battle, which means I should save my strongest Pokemon.'_

In a sudden burst of light, Mamoswine and Drifblim were facing off on the field. Sky's puny little Drifloon that couldn't fight, was now a tough looking Drifblim. Rina and Sky glared at each other, their Pokemon unaware just how vicious the battle may be. Rina had managed to calm her Pokemon down a bit as she didn't want to get disqualified if her Pokemon were a bit too rough. But now, she actually _wanted _her Pokemon to fight with passion.

"Drifblim, we'll have the first move. Start with a Will-o-Wisp and follow up with Minimize."

Drifblim's body became surrounded by light blue fireballs, which he then fired at Mamoswine.

Being slower than her opponent, Mamoswine didn't react quickly enough and was hit by the fire balls, which left a burn mark on her right side. The burn would cause damage during the battle which would weaken Mamoswine. As quickly as he had fired the attack, Drifblim then used his next move. The ghost type compressed his body to make the illusion that he was a lot smaller. This

would make it harder for Mamoswine to land an attack.

_'I wonder if that's her strategy: use combinations like that to weaken her opponent and then use stat changing moves. That burn is going to wear down Mamoswine slowly. This is going to be a pain!' _Rina thought as she debated what to do.

"Mamoswine you need to concentrate when you attack! Use Blizzard and make sure it hits!"

Mamoswine eyed up her opponent and watched his every move closely. The ghost type was calmly floating up and down. Mamoswine opened her mouth and fired a Blizzard attack. Drifblim watched as the cold air neared closer and closer before he eventually floated off to the side. The Blizzard carried on and then dispersed, not harming Drifblim at all.

"That worked fabulously didn't it Rina?" Sky mocked her opponent. "Now use Ominous Wind and make it hurt!"

Drifblim floated back to the centre and then began to wave his 'arms'. A purple wind emitted from them and again Mamoswine didn't manage to avoid it. The attack hit her hard and Rina told her to fight back with a Blizzard. The Blizzard attack cancelled out the Ominous Wind and the cold blast hit Drifblim, knocking him back and dealing a lot of damage. Rina then sighed as she noticed Mamoswine grunting from the pain the burn was inflicting before dropping to the floor. The judge told Rina to recall her Pokemon as she could no longer battle. She grabbed another Pokeball and released Staraptor.

Rina told Staraptor to end it quickly with a Quick Attack. Staraptor flew at Drifblim at a fast speed, closing the gap between them. Sky stayed silent as Staraptor was about to hit her Pokemon. Instead of hitting Drifblim, Staraptor went straight through him and Rina realised her mistake.

"I completely forgot that ghost types aren't affected by normal type moves! Staraptor quickly use Aerial Ace!"

Staraptor did a perfect u-turn and came back at Drifblim. She struck Drifblim with her wings and then turned around to attack again. Sky noticed her Pokemon was struggling and wouldn't be able to take another hit so she took a risk and decided to end it quickly.

"Explosion."

Driflblim's body started to glow white and Staraptor tried to stop herself from being caught up in the attack but it was too late. Drifblim suddenly caused a huge explosion which threw Staraptor back, knocking her out. Drifblim was also knocked out so both Pokemon were recalled.

The next two Pokemon were released. Standing before Rina was Flareon while Sky had released Leafeon. Flareon had the advantage which was a good thing for Rina as Sky had more Pokemon left. Rina told Flareon to use a Flamethrower attack without missing a beat. The Flamethrower engulfed Leafeon but she stood her ground. Leafeon was left slightly charred and in quite a bit of pain. Leafeon was actually Sky's weakest Pokemon and would usually go down in just a few attacks.

"Attack Flareon with Bite!"

Leafeon ran across the battlefield baring her teeth. Leafeon reached Flareon and bit down on his neck. Flareon quickly reacted and pulled away from Leafeon. He then bit down on Leafeon's neck, sinking his teeth in and drawing blood. Sky gasped as a small puddle of blood formed on the ground and Rina told Flareon to stop. Leafeon ignored the pain long enough to growl at Flareon and pounce on him. The grass type eeveelution scratched at Flareon's face and bit his ear. Flareon reacted by spewing flames in Leafeon's face before throwing her off. Flareon stood up but was soon knocked back down when Leafeon suddenly pounced on him again. Rina and Sky were both yelling at their respective Pokemon to stop but they didn't listen. They continued to bite each other, which drew more blood, and scratch each other. The judge said both Pokemon were disqualified for being too vicious and he ordered both Sky and Rina to recall their Pokemon. Rina grabbed her Pokeball and quickly recalled Flareon. Sky then did the same for Leafeon.

"Your Pokemon won't be allowed to battle any more and if either of you release another vicious Pokemon, you will automatically be disqualified! Now release your next Pokemon," the judge told them sternly.

Rina apologised and then sent out Sparky. Sky was expecting Rina to send out her Raichu last as she thought she was her strongest Pokemon.

_'Maybe she has a stronger Pokemon... I better save Ninetales until the end then.' _Sky threw her Pokeball and her Mew appeared.

"It may be a legendary Pokemon but that doesn't mean it's unbeatable! Sparky, start with a Thunder Punch!"

Sparky ran towards Mew with her fist drawn back and covered in electricity. Mew floated in circles happily, seemingly unaware to the Raichu running towards her. Sparky jumped up so she was at Mew's level and then punched her in the face. Mew cried out in pain and glared at Sparky as she landed back on the ground.

"Mew, hit the fat orange blob with a Psychic!"

Mew's eyes shone blue and Sparky was suddenly hit by a strong telekinetic force. Sparky was thrown back from the attack as Rina watched closely.

"I think the way Sky and Mew battle could be similar to how Rikki has trained her Ambipom. They act as if they don't know what's happening and take the hit, and then fight back with a really strong move. Sparky, get up and use Iron Tail!"

Sparky shakily got to her feet and ran across the battlefield. Her entire tail was glowing white and she jumped in the air, did a back flip and then descended onto Mew, tail first. Mew didn't have enough time to avoid the attack so she took it and then grabbed onto Sparky's tail. The attack threw Mew onto the ground but Sparky went with it. Both Pokemon slammed into the ground and were knocked unconscious. Rina walked onto the battlefield and dragged Sparky back while Sky recalled her Mew.

"These battles are going fairly quickly aren't they? But I'm still in the lead Rina, and I plan on staying there!"

"Don't be so confident Sky; you may be in the lead but I am going to win! Come on out Glaceon!"

Glaceon appeared on the field and Sky released her Mismaguis. Rina was feeling lucky now: Glaceon knew a dark type move and that would be super-effective against a ghost-type. Rina started the battle and told Glaceon to use Bite. Glaceon sped across the field baring her teeth. Mismaguis floated out of the way and began preparing a Shadow Ball. Glaceon turned around at jumped at Mismaguis, biting her and causing a lot of damage. When Glaceon moved away Mismaguis launched a ball of shadow stuff at her. The Shadow Ball hit Glaceon in the face and she skidded backwards.

"Ice Fang!"

"Use Dark Pulse!"

The three gems on Mismaguis' back flashed red and a ball of black and purple circles appeared in front of them. The circles merged into a beam and they were fired at Glaceon. Glaceon quickly lay down on the ground and rolled to the left to dodge. She then got up and jumped towards Mismaguis. Glaceon bit Mismaguis with her cold-infused fangs. Mismaguis cried out and backed off. Glaceon then went in with another Bite attack and she threw Mismaguis to the ground. Sky told Mismaguis to get up but Glaceon stopped her with another Bite attack. Mismaguis was knocked out instantly. Sky recalled her and Rina grinned widely.

"Don't look so happy Rina, I have two Pokemon left but you really just have one. Your Glaceon has already taken damage and won't last much longer!" Sky then took her next Pokeball in hand and released her Azumarill. "Finish her Glaceon off with a Double-Edge attack!"

Azumarill charged towards Glaceon with a smirk on her face. Glaceon ran off to the side to try and get away but Azumarill simply changed direction and slammed into Glaceon with a full-body tackle. The attack sent Glaceon flying and she crashed into the wall outside of the battle field. Glaceon didn't get back up and Rina was made to recall her. Azumarill staggered back and clenched her teeth. The attack does recoil damage when used but Sky just wanted to win. She was sure Azumarill would be able to hang on, and if she couldn't Sky wasn't worried: she still had her strongest Pokemon remaining.

Rina was beginning to get really worried at this point. She had one Pokemon left and it definitely wasn't one of her strongest. Sky still had Azumarill and although Rina's last Pokemon had the advantage over the water-type, she knew what Sky's other Pokemon was. Sky's Ninetales would have a big advantage over her last Pokemon. Rina took a deep breath and then threw her last Pokeball.

"Breloom, don't let me down!"

Breloom flexed her muscles and grinned at her opponent. Sky didn't look worried at all. She was sure Breloom would take out her Azumarill, but it wouldn't defeat her Ninetales.

"Finish this in one move! Giga Drain!"

Breloom held her arms out in front of her and glowing green energy beams extended from her hands. The beams wrapped themselves around Azumarill's fat body and began to drain her energy. Azumarill tried to bite the beams but it did nothing. The assault carried on until the last of Azumarill's energy was drained and she collapsed. When she didn't stand back up, Sky recalled her. Sky eagerly released her Ninetales and smiled at Rina smugly.

"It comes down to this battle, but it's pretty clear who is going to win," Sky said with confidence.

"Think again! Breloom is ten times stronger than your Ninetales!" Rina tried to believe it but she knew that wasn't true. Sky had been training with her Ninetales since it was a little Vulpix, but Rina hadn't had Breloom for long. "Breloom, Mach Punch!"

Breloom's fist became covered in a white orb and she punched Ninetales in the jaw. Mach Punch was sure to hit first and that's what Rina wanted. Ninetales growled and turned to face Breloom. Rina told Breloom to back away a bit, so she would have the chance to dodge any attacks.

"I think an Overheat should just about do it."

Ninetales' body suddenly started to glow red and seconds later she released an extremely powerful blast of orangey-yellow fire. Breloom watched in shock as a huge wave of fire rushed towards her. With no where to run, Breloom squeezed her eyes shut as the fire washed over her entire body. When the fire dispersed Rina felt like crying. Breloom's body was covered in burn marks and she was unconscious. She knew her Breloom wasn't that strong, but she didn't expect her to go down in one hit.

"And that's it! Sky wins the battle and will move on to the final round where she will battle Nicholas!"

Rina recalled Breloom and ignored the cheers and clapping coming from the audience. She quickly walked off the stage, planning on finding her friends and then give her Pokemon to Nurse Joy.

Rina didn't find her friends straight away, as more and more people were filling the stadium to get ready for the final battle. Rina didn't know Nicholas had made it to the finals, nor did she know that battle with Sky would determine which of them would battle him. Rina wasn't keeping note of which stage of the competition she was in, not that it mattered any more. She had gone to Nurse Joy after failing to find her friends and then found Tizzy and Andy soon after. Her friends were being really sympathetic and saying how well she had done, but Rina told them she was absolutely fine and would just have to try again next year.

There was one thing bothering Rina though: every time she asked where Rikki was, her friends would just pretend they hadn't heard her and carry on talking.

"Guys, stop ignoring the question. Where is Rikki?"

Tizzy looked at Andy willingly and he sighed. He hung his head and prepared himself to tell Rina. When Andy looked up again Rina became really worried. He looked quite sad but she couldn't think why.

"She left the moment your Breloom fainted."

"Left to go where...?" Rina asked slowly.

Andy took a deep breath. "She didn't want to say goodbye to you because she said she wouldn't be able to. Rina, she's on a boat going to Hoenn. Professor Rowan sent a car to pick her up and take her to the dock in Snowpoint."

"Why has she gone there?" Rina could barely speak let alone take it all in.

"Rowan wants her to do some research on the Pokemon there. We know she gave up on that, but this time he is paying her. And she also knew you were going to go there after the Sinnoh League."

Rina shakily asked Andy if Rikki was going to wait in Snowpoint for her.

"Sorry Rina... she's probably getting on the boat as we speak. She sort of wanted to go alone."

Rina stood up from her seat and walked out of the Sinnoh League building. No way was she going to let her friends see her cry over the girl she loves.

Note: Ahehe. I honestly didn't always plan on Rina losing to Sky. But then I didn't want another battle between Rina and Nicholas, and I thought it would be interesting if Rina lost to Sky, who used to be crap at battling. Yeah, that's probably the last we'll see of Rikki. Next chapter will be the last, and I know how I want it to go, I just don't know if Rikki will appear.


	49. I Love You

Rina couldn't stop crying no matter how hard she tried. To find out the girl she loved was travelling to a different region without her was heartbreaking. Rina probably would have felt a bit better had she told Rikki exactly how she felt. She excluded herself from her friends and her Pokemon, choosing to lock her self in her room. Rina had dumped her Pokemon on Tizzy before retreating to the comfort of her bed.

Tizzy and Andy hardly spent any time with Rina. They felt it was best to leave her alone for a while so she could deal with it properly. At first they thought Rina was overreacting to the whole situation but then Andy managed to get Rina to talk to him.

Andy was quite shocked when Rina finally told him she liked girls and she loved Rikki.

He could sort of relate to the situation as he had been quite fond of Roger, but that relationship just didn't work out. Andy could only imagine how hard it was on Rina. When Tizzy was filled in Andy had to keep her from telling Rina that Rikki actually had feelings for too. Andy didn't feel it was right for them to tell her, even though he too was eager to spill the beans. Tizzy spent most of her time trying to get in contact with Rikki but it was no use. No matter how many messages she left Rikki, she hadn't yet got back to her. Professor Rowan wasn't much help either.

Nicholas and Sky battled each other but Sky didn't stand a chance. She lost and Nicholas was declared the Sinnoh League victor. Two days after Rikki left, the rest of the group also left as the League was finished.

Rina truly believed she had cried more than she ever had done before. She cried more than when Ashley broke Rina's bed when they were younger; more than when she woke up one day to find her dad's things were gone and so was he; more than when her mum turned to the drink; more than when Gallade was stolen from her. She cried more when Tizzy and Andy were killed, but that didn't count because Arceus brought them back to life.

The group were now on a boat which would take them back to Twinleaf Town. Rina planned on going home for a couple of days before heading out to Hoenn. She didn't know if she still had to take Ashley with her, but Rina would rather not have her little sister tagging along. Rina just wanted to go with her Pokemon and her two best friends.

Unfortunately, Tizzy and Andy had decided weeks ago that they wouldn't be joining Rina and eventually Rikki in Hoenn. They had plans of their own but they hadn't found the right time to tell Rina. They didn't know if Rina could cope with it all at once.

On the boat ride home Rina neglected her Pokemon and her appearance. Tizzy had been taking good care of Rina's Pokemon for her, while Andy tried to snap her out of her 'depression'. He was starting to think Rina was being extremely dramatic and he told her this in the nicest way possible. It was then that she thought about it properly and realised he was right.

An announcement was made and the passengers were told they would be docking in Twinleaf Town in roughly ten minutes, so they should get their stuff together. The group went back to their cabin and Rina was in the middle of packing up her stuff when Andy caught Tizzy's eye and nodded at her. Andy turned to face Rina's back and cleared his throat. Rina turned around and looked at him and Tizzy.

"You two should really start packing your stuff away; I want to get off this boat as soon as possible!" Rina said.

"Rina..." Andy began. He looked at Tizzy and she shook her head violently. Andy sighed. He was always the one who give the bad news. "Tizzy and I are staying on the boat."

"Why? Where is it going?" Rina asked with a confused expression on her face.

"Vermillion City in Kanto. We have been talking for a while now and we have decided to go back to Kanto so we can be closer to our friends and families. We plan on starting up a day care centre for cute Pokemon."

Rina looked at the floor sadly. She hadn't expected this. It was bad enough that Rikki had left, but now her two remaining best (human) friends were leaving too. She would hopefully be seeing Rikki soon, but she didn't know how long she would have to wait to see Tizzy and Andy again. Rina walked up to Tizzy and pulled her into a bone-crushing hug. Tizzy's eyes watered as she hugged her back just as tightly.

"Don't you ever forget me Rina," Tizzy said. Rina laughed softly as she pulled away, wiping her own tears away.

"How could I? You are a girl with pink hair and a huge Snorlax! You are unique Tizzy, and you are most definitely one of my best friends."

She then hugged Andy closely and told him to keep in contact. Rina pulled herself together as she attached her Pokeballs to her belt and smiled at Sparky. The boat stopped moving, allowing passengers fifteen minutes to get off the boat before it continued on to Kanto.

"Good luck you two; I'm sure your day care centre will be brilliant. I'll come and visit you, see you later."

"Bye Rina! We love you! And say hi to Rikki for us!"

Rina left the cabin with Sparky following behind her. She allowed her tears to flow freely as there was no point in wiping them away. She didn't think she would be able to stop herself from crying, not until she saw Rikki at least.

…

When Rina arrived home she was greeted by Ashley, who gave her a hug and then pulled her inside the house. Catherine said a quick hello and then went to the kitchen to get Rina a drink. She threw her bag down and slumped down on the sofa. Ashley jumped on the seat next to her and grinned.

"I saw you battle in the League! You done really well Rina!"

"Thanks but it was my Pokemon who did all the work."

Catherine walked back into the room, handed Rina her glass of water and then sat down on the armchair. Rina asked her mum if she watched the battle and Catherine looked at her awkwardly.

"Sorry love, I missed it. I was out with the girls. Ashley watched it though and she told me it was a good fight!"

Rina frowned at her mum but didn't say anything. She knew she was still drinking but she was afraid to ask why she wasn't making more of an effort to stop. Rina looked at her younger sister out of the corner of her eye and saw Ashley was trying to look anywhere but in their mum's direction.

The conversation didn't go much further. Ashley sauntered off with her Piplup and Rina's Pokemon to go into the garden and play. There was an awkward silence as Rina was left sitting in the room with her mum.

"Why don't you say something? I haven't seen you properly in months and you just sit there staring at your glass!"

Rina's head shot up and she glared at her mum. "I have nothing to say to the woman who cares more about drinking then her own daughters. You know what? I didn't want Ashley tagging along while I travel around Hoenn, but now I can't wait to get her out of here!" Rina slammed her glass down on the table. Water spilled over the edge and Catherine remained silent as Rina grabbed her bag and stormed upstairs to her room.

Rina sat on her bed with her legs crossed, the photos Tizzy had given her scattered in front of her. Tizzy took pictures nearly every day and she managed to capture a lot of memorable moments. Rina picked up a picture of Rikki chasing Andy around with a wooden spoon and smiled. She couldn't remember exactly what Andy had done wrong, but Rikki wouldn't talk to him for days. There was another picture of Rikki looking moody while Tizzy had her arms wrapped around her in a hug. Rina spent at least an hour arranging them into a collage in an empty scrapbook she found in Ashley's room.

Rina sighed and lay down on her bed. She didn't know what she was going to say to Rikki when she found her, she just knew that she _had _to confess her feelings to her. The longer she put it off the harder it would get, especially if Rikki suddenly got herself a boyfriend. Rina didn't see Rikki as the type to like girls, but she wanted to tell her anyway.

She considered texting her because it was so much easier, but it was also cowardly. Rina wanted to see Rikki's reaction and she wanted to make sure Rikki knew how serious she was being. She didn't know if she could say she loved Rikki, because love is a strong word. Rina wanted to word it properly because it mattered to her how she said it.

Rina got up from her bed and put her bag on her back. She was originally going to say at home for a couple of weeks to relax but now Rina was determined more than ever to get to Hoenn and speak to Rikki. Rina picked up her scrap book and held it to her chest as she walked down the stairs and into the garden.

"Come on, get your stuff. We're leaving in five minutes!"

…

Rina and Ashley said a brief goodbye to their mum and then they began the long journey to Snowpoint City. It would have taken about a week and a half but they managed to get a few lifts from people from city to city, so they arrived in Snowpoint in one week. They stayed there for a few days and got on the first boat to Hoenn. Rina had earned enough money to pay for the both of them, and Catherine had also given them some money.

It was decided that Ashley would stay with Rina until she was reunited with Rikki and then she would be joining a school until she was old enough to travel by herself. Ashley said she would eventually go home as she wanted to be close to her mum.

Rina stood at the front of the boat, looking out to the sea feeling nervous. She didn't know how she was going to go about finding Rikki, her only hope would be getting in contact with her and arranging to meet up. Rikki's phone was always going to voice mail but Rina wasn't going to give up.

Rina's phone bleeped – a text message from Rikki. Rina's heart skipped a beat as she read it. Rina gasped and read it over again, making sure she had read it right. She put her phone back in her pocket. There were tears in her eyes. She had just received a text that would probably change the rest of her life.

Note: The end.

Yes, this is the final chapter of Sinnoh Challenges (finally!) I got bored of this story quite a few chapters ago and I just wanted it finished. I've started a new fic which I'm liking so I'm excited to dedicate my spare time to that one.

What do you guys think the text said? Also, I'm going to put a new poll up on my profile so please vote! It's to do with a potential epilogue (at least I think it's called an epilogue...) If enough people like the idea then I will work on it.

Thank you to everyone who reviewed and left me characters for this fic. An even bigger thank you to AutumnChronicles and Crazy Amazing ^_^


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